If you're aiming to study and play soccer in the U.S, scholarships can play a major role in making that dream financially possible. At Soccer Student Pathway, we help players and families understand what’s available, how scholarships work, and how to maximize every opportunity. Here’s everything you need to know — clearly explained.
Scholarship packages vary from player to player and from school to school. They’re made up of multiple funding sources, typically combined to reduce your overall cost of attendance. These sources include: Athletic Scholarships – awarded by the team’s Head Coach Academic Scholarships – based on your grades and test scores International Scholarships – available to non-U.S. students to promote campus diversity. Together, these form a custom scholarship package that may cover part — or all — of your costs..
Athletic scholarships are offered directly by the college's Head Coach and are based on your ability, positional need, and potential impact on the team. Coaches have a limited budget each year, which they divide across their recruits. Your offer depends on several factors: How strong a fit you are for their team. What positions they're recruiting for. What remaining funds they have available. We work closely with coaches to help promote our players to the right programs — where there’s both a need and the budget to support you.
⏳ Note: Once a coach has used up their budget for the year, they can’t offer additional funding until the next recruiting cycle.
Academic scholarships are awarded by the college itself, based on your academic profile — typically your GPA (grade average) and SAT or ACT scores. Each school publishes its own scholarship thresholds, so it’s often easy to estimate what you may qualify for in advance. The stronger your grades and test scores, the higher your academic award — which can significantly reduce your costs and make you more appealing to coaches.
💡 Coaches love when athletes earn strong academic awards — it frees up their athletic budget while still helping you afford college.
Many U.S. colleges offer small but meaningful grants to international students simply for being non-U.S. citizens. These awards are designed to encourage diversity on campus and don’t require any extra effort to qualify — if you’re eligible, it’s automatically added to your financial aid package.
Scholarships are awarded on a yearly basis and are renewed at the coach’s discretion. As long as you:Remain academically eligibleFollow team and university rulesMaintain your athletic commitment…your scholarship is highly likely to be renewed. In fact, many players earn more funding over time as they prove themselves on the pitch and in the classroom.
Each college team operates under limits set by their athletic division. For example:⚽ Soccer Scholarships by Division (Full Equivalencies): NCAA Division 1 Women: 14.0 Men: 9.9 NCAA Division 2 Women: 9.9 Men: 9.0 NAIA (Men & Women) 12.0 each. Each full scholarship can be split among multiple players, which is why a strong academic profile can help reduce the athletic portion needed — giving coaches more flexibility and increasing your chances of an offer.
Your total scholarship package is usually a mix of athletic, academic, and international funding. Here's how colleges typically apply it:First, to reduce your tuition fees. Then, to cover as much of your room and board (housing + meals) as possible. If there’s still room in your package, it may go toward books or health insurance. Once all scholarships are applied, the remaining balance — known as your out-of-pocket cost — is what you and your family are responsible for.
Example:
A college costs $40,000 per year. You receive a scholarship package worth $30,000 (75%). That $30,000 is used to cover tuition first, then room & board, then books. You would pay the remaining $10,000 annually.
🎁 Once you're on the team, all game travel, accommodation, kits, and equipment (and sometimes boots, gloves, or accessories) are provided by the program at no cost.
At SSP, we support you with: Realistic financial guidance, Targeted coach outreach based on your athletic and academic profile, Scholarship strategy based on where you’ll be most competitive. Ongoing support to help maintain (or increase) your scholarship once you're on campus. Whether you're aiming for a full scholarship or simply want to make college affordable, we’ll guide you through the process — step by step.
Have questions about your potential scholarship options?
Book a consultation call and we’ll help you understand where you stand and what’s possible.
