College tuition is expensive. That’s why many high schoolers try to stand out and cut the cost by earning scholarships through their academic or athletic performances. But you don’t have to be your school’s valedictorian or captain of the basketball team to earn a scholarship. If you participate in archery, you’ve got a good shot.
Collegiate archery is on the rise, and so is the number of scholarship opportunities. Many schools have varsity teams and are looking for athletes to join up. Archery clubs and organizations, along with colleges, hand out scholarships to some archers competing at the collegiate level. There are a few ways to earn this money. Most of the funding is earmarked for students who commit to participating in varsity teams. Some scholarships are based on archery performance, and others are decided through an application process.
If this sounds like something you could benefit from, there are several ways to find scholarship opportunities. USA Archery, the national governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of archery, has a Collegiate Archery Programfor students enrolled in a college or university. It’s a great way for students involved in the Junior Olympic Archery Development program or Scholastic 3D Archery program to continue competing throughout their college years.
The USA Archery Collegiate Program offers barebow, recurve, compound and bowhunter divisions. USA Archery hosts the Collegiate Target Nationals, Collegiate 3D Nationals and more. Nationwide, schools have varsity archery teams, official university clubs and student organizations on campus.
USA Archery offers an up-to-date list of colleges and universities offering archery programs. Click here to search for collegiate programs. Just be sure to select “Collegiate” under “Club Type” in the search bar. You can filter the results by location. The listings include contact information for team leaders, who are a great resource for any questions, including ones about potential scholarship opportunities.
Just like in other sports, coaches scout talent for their teams. College and university coaches frequently attend national events in their quest to recruit athletes. According to officials with S3DA, college and university coaches attend all S3DA national events.
Talent scouts are also in attendance at the JOAD National Target Championships. At the event, youth archers from across the country compete for medals and college scholarships. The scholarships come directly from colleges and universities. Scholarships are offered to the top finishing male and female archers in several divisions.
The popular Vegas Shoot is another scholarship opportunity for students. As the National Field Archery Association’s largest indoor tournament, it hosts competitors from beginners to Olympians. In 2017, student archers received over $400,000 in scholarships from the event.
You don’t have to attend every tournament in hopes of getting spotted. Take your shot at one of the scholarship applications. Easton Foundations in partnership with the National Field Archery Association has a scholarship programfor student archers. You must be an NFAA member. The program awards several scholarships in varying amounts from $500 to $2,500. College freshmen, sophomores and juniors can apply. Students involved with JOAD and the National Archery in the Schools Program, as well as high school juniors, junior college students and trade school college students are also eligible for $500 scholarships.
Easton Foundations scholarships are awarded based on an archer’s accomplishments and future competition plans. Olympic qualifiers will likely receive more than NASP participants. A committee reviews applications and awards the winners. Scholarship recipients must adhere to certain requirements like maintaining a 2.0 minimum GPA and must submit an “Archery Activity Report” to prove they are competing in archery during the entire academic year.
Archery clubs also award scholarships, typically to local archers, in an effort to help students and encourage continued participation in archery. Your local shop will have information about area clubs.
The Minnesota State Archery Association offers two $500 scholarships to high school students with good grades who love archery.
The Nevada Bow Hunters Association awards a scholarship to a Nevadan enrolled in higher education who is in good standing with the NFAA.
The Michigan State University Archery Team has won numerous awards, including over 35 All-American rankings. Archery scholarships are available.
Some scholarships are reserved for the best of the best, but many are awarded to students who simply demonstrate a love of the sport. In some cases, you don’t even need to compete. Securing an archery scholarship is a great way to ease the cost of college while continuing to pursue your passion.
