NCAA: The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is made up of three divisions (I, II and III) and is made up of nearly 1,100 member colleges and universities that provide more than $2.7 billion dollars worth of scholarship money. Over 480,000 athletes participate in NCAA athletics with over 150,000 receiving athletic scholarship aid. Competition at Division I is considered the highest level, and athletes within Division I and II eligible to earn scholarship money. Division III institutions do NOT offer athletic aid, but student-athletes may receive academic or other need-based aid to assist with tuition. For more information, visit ncaa.org to learn about each division.
NAIA: The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) is an organization that is made up of over 250 member colleges and universities that sponsors national championships in 23 different intercollegiate sports. Overall, the member institutions provide over $500 million dollars in scholarship aid to over 65,000 student-athletes across the country. For more information, visit NAIA.org.
DID YOU KNOW… THERE’S OVER $500 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIP MONEY AT OVER 250 NAIA INSTITUTIONS
The level of competition is considered higher among NCAA institutions (going in order from toughest: Division I to Division II to Division III), but the NAIA provides great opportunities for high school athletes looking to continue playing at the collegiate level—while sometimes earning scholarship money too.
