I'm a high school junior and a pretty serious football player looking at potential colleges. Do Ivy League schools give football scholarships, or do they only offer financial aid based on need?
Ivy League schools, while they do have football programs and actively recruit student-athletes, do not offer athletic scholarships. This policy applies to all sports, not just football. The Ivy League operates under a need-based financial aid system for all its students. This means that the financial aid package you receive won't be influenced by your status as a football player.
That being said, many Ivy League institutions have robust financial aid programs. Your financial aid award will be determined by your family's financial situation, and in general, Ivy League schools are committed to making sure all admitted students can afford to attend regardless of their financial background.
In some cases, the financial aid offered by these schools can actually be more generous than what you might receive as an athletic scholarship at another school. This is particularly true for lower and middle-income families.
So, while you won't get a football scholarship per se, being recruited as a football player can still significantly increase your chances of admission. Once admitted, you can then receive a financial aid package that's tailored to your family's financial needs.
I recommend that you reach out to coaches at any Ivy League schools you're interested in to discuss potential recruitment, and then look into each institution's financial aid policies to get an idea of what kind of aid package you might be eligible for.
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