Can You Get a Scholarship for Cheerleading?
Wondering if you can get a scholarship for cheerleading? Continue reading to explore the colleges that offer cheerleading scholarships, how can you apply and more.
Are you a high school cheerleader and wondering if you can get a scholarship for Cheerleading?
The answer is yes.
Fort Hays State University, University of Hawaii, Indiana Wesleyan University, University of Delaware, University of Central Arkansas are some top colleges that make cheerleading scholarships available to the students. These universities offer a financial reward of up to $2,500 to $8,000 in scholarships every year to the student’s wish, cheerleading scholarships. Additionally, if you're at a leadership position in your squad, you may qualify for an additional scholarship of up to $3,375 per year.
Sadly, cheerleading isn’t acknowledged by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a sport. Hence, for the same reason, there is very little funding available for college cheerleaders. Still, it is possible for you to be worthy to win a full-ride scholarship that requires to have a GPA of 3.8 or above.
Instead, the big news is that more and higher scholarships are becoming available to cheerleaders. While there are scholarships achievable in many places, the best place to search in the college you are planning to attend.
How to Get a Scholarship for Cheerleading?
To get a college cheerleading scholarship, you're required to be the best among all the competitors. Possibilities will be better if you registered in the cheerleading unit as soon as possible in your high school.
Also, having exceptional gymnastics skills, it’s also essential to have high-grades. While you’re obtaining a scholarship toward your athleticism, universities look for well-balanced amateurs.
There aren’t multiple full-ride cheerleading scholarships, but many institutions award miniature scholarships. Also, they may offer little stipends to meet daily expenses like the cost of food, housing, and travel expenses.
American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) and the National Council for Spirit Safety and Education (NCSSE) are cheerleading organizations that offer scholarships to athletes looking to continue the sport on the college level.
Top 10 colleges for Scholarship of Cheerleading 2020
According to Cheerdaily list of top 10 colleges for Scholarship of Cheerleading
1. University of Kentucky – Lexington, Kentucky
The 20-time UCA National Champions are at the top of this list for more than just their impressive number of titles.
2. University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Getting to cheer for the 15-time national championship football team, having access to some of the best athletic facilities in the country, and being on one of the best cheerleading teams in the nation make Alabama one of our top colleges for cheer.
3. University of Central Florida – Orlando, Florida
UCF is one of the perennial powerhouses in college cheerleading. They are consistently among the top three in Division 1A Coed cheer and offer scholarships to up to 16 of its cheerleading squad members.
4. University of Louisville – Louisville, Kentucky
U of L is home to the winningest program in NCA National titles. They cheer for one of the nation’s elite basketball programs as well as cheering for the football team that has done well in recent years.
5. University of South Carolina – Columbia, South Carolina
The University of South Carolina has a strong all girl and coed competition team that competes at NCA Nationals and that leads the crowd at games for one of the SEC’s strongest athletic programs.
6. University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Tennessee
Nothing says game day atmosphere like leading a crowd of 103,000+ fans at every home football game. If game days in Knoxville aren’t enough to make Tennessee a top cheerleading destination, 12 full-tuition scholarships should.
7. Oklahoma State University – Stillwater, Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University is ranked almost every year not only in cheerleading but also in football and basketball, making it a great place to cheer.
8. University of Mississippi – Oxford, Mississippi
They award a good amount of scholarships to their cheerleaders and are improving in competition with each year.
9. Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
LSU cheerleaders lead the crowds at one of the nation’s best college football venues, Tiger Stadium. They also fare well at nationals every year, consistently placing in the top 10.
10. University of Memphis – Memphis, Tennessee
The University of Memphis consistently has a strong cheerleading program but they are so high on our list because of the great scholarship opportunity there. They offer 12 full rides for the coed team and up to $1,000 per semester for qualifying all-girl team members, which is some of the most amounts of scholarships offered out of anyone on this list.
Top 5 Cheerleading Scholarships 2020
These cheerleading scholarships are awarded by external agencies.
1. Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway
Amount: Varies
Application Deadline: To be announced for 2020 (Opens mid-August)
Eligibility criteria
-
The applicant must not be playing any sports in a college.
-
The applicant must be 18 years of age.
-
The applicant can enter by filling an online application.
-
The applicant must submit a video as per the requirements of Dr. Pepper.
Contact
Keurig Dr. Pepper
53 South Avenue
Burlington, MA
01803
Contact number: 877-208-9991
Official Website: www.keurigdrpepper.com
2. Marc E. Lewis Youth Scholarship
Amount: $5,000
Application Deadline: March 20, 2020
Eligibility criteria
-
The applicant must be a freshmen entrée.
-
The applicant must be a high-school cheerleader.
-
The applicant must demonstrate a heavy commitment to their local LGBTQ+ community.
Contact
Flag Flag Football
PO Box 180559
Boston, MA 02118
Email: info@flagflagfootball.com
Official website: www.flagflagfootball.com
3. Sports Unlimited Scholarship
Amount : $1,000
Application Deadline: April 30, 2020
Eligibility criteria
-
To be eligible, the applicant must be a high school senior, college freshman, or college sophomore.
-
The applicant must submit an inspirational essay with a word count ranging from 500-1000.
-
The applicant must be related to any employee of Sports Unlimited.
-
To check out the organization’s prompt for the year 2020, please visit their official website.
Contact
Sports Unlimited, Inc.
346 Godshall Drive
Harleysville, PA 19438
Contact number: 800.693.6368
Official website: www.sportsunlimitedinc.com
4. Positive Coaching Alliance: Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Application Deadline: May 31, 2020
Eligibility criteria
-
The applicant must be a part of the sports team of a high school or local club.
-
The applicant must secure a GPA of 2.5 to be eligible.
-
The applicant must demonstrate notable contributions towards self-development, development of teammates, and the sport as a whole through leadership, personal mastery, the honor of the game, discipline, and diligence.
-
The applicant must submit letters of recommendation from the school administrator and the coach.
Contact
1001 N. Rengstorff Ave.,
Suite 100
Mountain View, CA 94043
Contact number - 866-725-0024
Official website - www.positivecoach.org
5. Competitive Cheer Coaches Association of Michigan Scholarships
Amount : $500 to $3,000
Application Deadline: December 13th,2020
Eligibility criteria
-
The applicant must be a graduating high school cheerleading athlete.
-
The applicant must be a part of the MHSAA Competitive Cheer tea.
-
The applicant must have an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher (through their junior year).
-
The applicant must submit an autobiographical essay and two letters of recommendation.
Contact
Competitive Cheer Coaches Association of Michigan Scholarships
1661 Ramblewood Drive
East Lansing, MI 48823
Contact number : (517) 332-5046
Official website: www.cccam.org
Note: The application deadlines for the year 2021 is yet to be announced.
Conclusion
The U.S Government has initiated an array of college scholarships to shelter the interests of the diverse demographic of the country. From scholarships for being a leftie to scholarships for top merit in academics and extracurriculars, there is plenty to choose from.
Schools/colleges/universities with a history of winning cheerleading competitions are known to offer the best scholarships to cheerleaders. To have an explicit and understanding of the cheerleading scholarship opportunities, it is wise to consult the school/college/university counselor, financial aid office, or the coach. Alternatively, you can always search for information online. There are a number of options when it comes to cheerleading scholarships. Also, there is no such thing as applying for too many scholarships. As long as you fit the eligibility criteria, you are good to go!
Blogs you might be interested in
