Wrestling Scholarships

As in the world of college football or basketball, traditional wrestling scholarships at the most competitive universities require a great deal of talent in the sport and the ability to catch the attention of college recruiters as early as your junior year. Much of the funding is controlled by the NCAA, which means there is a great amount of emphasis placed on not only talent but academic records, as those awarded scholarships must meet certain GPA requirements. That said, the amount of funding available to college-bound wrestlers has grown along with the popularity of the sport, and if your financial need is great, most schools will take that into account when awarding funding. While you’ll probably find yourself with a partial scholarship, if you’re a good wrestler with decent grades, other scholarships outside of your college won’t be out of reach.

Don’t rule out local organizations and clubs that may have scholarships up for grabs. Often set up by former wrestlers and alumni of area colleges or wrestling programs, such awards look at not only talent on the mat but academic achievement, financial need and your experiences as a student athlete. Many funding sources also look at your wrestling potential, so if you aren’t the star wrestler on your high school team but show promise for the sport, you could be eligible for those awards.

For additional information about wrestling scholarships and awards based on different criteria, try conducting a free college scholarship search at Scholarships.com.