Every week a UK or European family searches for "squash scholarship USA" or "sailing scholarship America" and finds agencies happy to take a fee for it. The honest picture is that in several of the sports European families ask about most, athletic scholarships barely exist, but what exists instead is often worth more.
This page goes sport by sport. For each one: who runs it in the US, whether real athletic money is on the table, where the admissions value is, where UK and European athletes typically end up, and what the coaches measure.
The three currencies of US university sport
American recruiting pays out in three distinct ways. Most families know about the first and plan around it, when the second or third is what their child's sport actually offers.
- Athletic scholarship money. Paid by the athletics department, tied to your child's place on the team. Exists mainly in NCAA Division I (outside the Ivy League), Division II, and NAIA, and only in sports the university funds. Since the 2025 House settlement, Division I universities that opted in are allowed to fund a scholarship for every rostered athlete, but in the sports below almost none do. Partial awards remain the norm.
- Admissions advantage. At the Ivy League and at Division III colleges, coach support can sharply improve the odds of admission at universities with very low acceptance rates. The sport brings no money, but it can get your child into a university that very few applicants get into on academics alone.
- Need-based and merit aid. Available to every admitted student, athlete or not. Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Dartmouth, for example, meet 100% of demonstrated financial need and are need-blind for international applicants, and many other selective colleges have similar policies. Many large public universities give merit aid, sometimes driven by SAT/ACT scores, that can stack on top of a partial athletic award.
Put another way, an athletic scholarship pays for a degree you could have paid for yourself, while an admissions advantage gets your child a place they most likely couldn't have bought.
Sport by sport
| Sport | Run by | Athletic money | Main value | Where UK / EU athletes land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squash (M & W) | College Squash Association (not NCAA) | Rare | Admissions | Harvard, Princeton, Penn, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown; Trinity (CT), Williams, Amherst, Middlebury; Drexel, Virginia, Rochester |
| Rowing, women | NCAA Division I, II, III | Real money | Money or admissions, depending on school | Scholarship: Texas, Washington, Stanford, Cal, Virginia, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee. Admissions: all Ivies, Williams, Bates, Wesleyan |
| Rowing, men | Intercollegiate Rowing Association (not NCAA) | Limited | Admissions | All Ivies, Washington, Cal, Stanford, Wisconsin, Syracuse, Navy; Williams, Wesleyan, Trinity |
| Sailing (coed & W) | Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (not NCAA) | None in practice | Admissions | Yale, Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, Boston College, Georgetown, Navy, Stanford; Tufts, Bowdoin, Roger Williams |
| Tennis (M & W) | NCAA Division I, II, III | Partial, some full | Money at scholarship schools; admissions at Ivies / D3 | Heavily international. Scholarship: Wake Forest, Virginia, Texas, Ohio State, TCU, Michigan, plus hundreds of D1/D2 programmes. Admissions: Ivies, Stanford, NESCAC, Emory, Chicago |
| Golf (M & W) | NCAA Division I, II, III | Partial, some full | Money at scholarship schools; admissions at Ivies / D3 | Scholarship: Arizona State, Stanford, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Florida, Texas. Admissions: Ivies, NESCAC, Williams, Emory |
| Football (soccer) (M & W) | NCAA all divisions | Partial, some full | Money at D1/D2; admissions at Ivies / D3 | Very large market; UK academy and EU players across D1/D2. Ivies, Stanford, Duke, NESCAC for the academic route |
| Field hockey (W) | NCAA all divisions | Real money | Money or admissions | UK, Dutch, German players everywhere. Scholarship: UNC, Northwestern, Maryland, Virginia, Iowa. Admissions: Ivies, NESCAC |
| Athletics (track & field) | NCAA all divisions | Partial, event-dependent | Money or admissions | Time and distance standards make this the easiest sport to recruit remotely |
| Swimming | NCAA all divisions | Partial, some full | Money or admissions | Times are universal; strong European presence at D1 |
| Lacrosse | NCAA all divisions | Partial | Money or admissions | Growing UK / European presence; NESCAC and Ivies are deep |
| Fencing (M & W) | NCAA all divisions | Partial | Money at D1; admissions at Ivies / D3 | Around 44 varsity programmes, many of them highly selective. Internationals make up a large share of top rosters. Columbia, Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Johns Hopkins |
| Rugby | Mostly club; NCAA women's rugby is small | Rare | Limited | A few varsity programmes; not a reliable recruiting route |
"Real money" means full scholarships are common at well-funded programmes. "Partial" means awards are usually a fraction of costs and full scholarships are the exception. Post-House-settlement funding varies by university and changes year to year; ask each coach directly how many scholarship equivalents the programme funds.
The sports UK and European families ask about most
Squash
US college squash is not an NCAA sport, and the strongest programmes are at universities that give no athletic aid at all: the Ivy League and the top Division III colleges. A handful of other varsity programmes exist, but athletic money in squash is rare enough that you should plan as if it doesn't exist. What squash offers is one of the best admissions advantages in American sport, because rosters are small, the talent pool is international, and Ivy coaches recruit from exactly the junior events UK and European players already compete in. Coaches look at England Squash and European junior rankings, results at the British Junior Open and European Junior Championships, and any PSA results. Because the athletic gaps between top junior recruits are small, the Academic Index is often the deciding factor between two players a coach likes. Full squash guide.
Fencing
Fencing has the tightest overlap between elite sport and selective admissions of any sport on this page. Around 44 universities field varsity programmes and many of them are highly selective, including the Ivy League. Athletic money exists at Division I, but since the 2025 House settlement the caps have been replaced by roster limits, so what a programme actually funds varies by university and is usually well short of the 24-place maximum. Partial awards are the norm. International fencers make up a large share of rosters at top programmes, because European depth exceeds what American coaches find at home. Coaches read FIE cadet and junior rankings first, then European Circuit and national championship results, and they recruit by weapon, so a programme's need in sabre may look nothing like its need in épée. Full fencing guide.
Rowing
Rowing is the one sport on this list where the answer depends on gender. Women's rowing is a fully funded NCAA sport with large rosters and real scholarship money, and since the 2025 House settlement, Division I schools that opted in can fund up to the full roster, so funding varies by university. Strong programmes at Texas, Washington, Stanford, Cal, Virginia, and Ohio State recruit internationally and can offer meaningful aid. The Ivies and top Division III colleges recruit women just as hard, without money but with the admissions advantage. Men's rowing is not NCAA-sponsored, has no scholarship cap, and in practice has little athletic money outside a few programmes. For men the value is overwhelmingly admissions, and the Ivies, Washington, Cal, and Stanford are the destinations. In both cases coaches want a 2k erg time above all else, then results at Henley Women's, National Schools', the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta, GB or national trials, and the Coupe de la Jeunesse or Junior Worlds if applicable. Height and wingspan matter, and video of technique is expected. Full rowing guide, including erg benchmarks by level.
Sailing
College sailing is run by the ICSA, not the NCAA, and no athletic scholarships are given in practice. It's a pure admissions-advantage sport, and a very good one: Yale, Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Boston College, Navy, and Stanford field varsity teams and recruit from ILCA, 420, and 29er youth fleets and from national and world youth championships. Because sailing recruiting is small and relationship-driven, direct contact with coaches and video of racing matter more than in most sports. Full sailing guide.
Tennis
Tennis is one of the most international sports in American college athletics, and that cuts both ways: hundreds of programmes recruit Europeans, and every European recruit is competing against Spain, France, Germany, and Eastern Europe for the same places. Athletic money exists at Division I and II, and partial scholarships are the norm at most schools. The Ivies, Stanford, and the NESCAC recruit tennis without money, for admissions. Coaches look at UTR first, then ITF junior ranking, national ranking, and match video. Since an April 2026 NCAA Division I rule change, prospects enrolling in 2026-27 may accept prize money in their sport without affecting eligibility, but other professional-activity rules still apply, so check the current amateurism rules before accepting anything. Full tennis guide, with UTR targets by division.
Golf
Golf is structurally like tennis: real but partial money at Division I and II, admissions advantage at the Ivies and Division III, and strong international competition for places. Coaches look at WAGR position, scoring average, results in R&A, EGA, and national championships, and, increasingly, tournament data from apps and ranking sites. Golf is also a sport where academic merit aid makes a big difference: a golfer on a 30% athletic scholarship at a large public university who also earns score-based merit aid can end up with a far better package than a "scholarship" alone suggests. Full golf guide.
Choosing which currency to chase
Decide this before you build a coach list, because the three routes lead to different universities and reward different preparation.
| If your family's priority is… | Then target… | And the academic work is… |
|---|---|---|
| The most selective degree possible | Ivy League, Stanford, NESCAC, top Division III | Heaviest. A strong SAT/ACT and grades close to the school's average are non-negotiable, and the score largely determines whether the coach can support you. |
| Reducing the cost of a US degree | Well-funded Division I and II programmes in your child's sport | Moderate for admission, but a strong score often earns merit aid that adds a lot to a partial scholarship. |
| Both | Ivies and need-blind colleges (need-based aid can exceed any partial scholarship), plus selective Division I programmes with merit aid | Heaviest again: the same score serves both goals. |
What every route has in common
Whichever currency you're chasing, the process runs through the same checkpoint: the academic pre-read, which by Ivy League rule cannot happen before 1 July at the end of Year 12, and where the coach shows admissions your child's grades and SAT or ACT score. In squash, sailing, and rowing, where the athletic differences between top recruits are small, that number is very often what separates the recruit who gets the coach's support from the one who doesn't. In golf and tennis, it frequently decides how much aid the university adds on top of the athletic award.
That's the part I can help with. I tutor the SAT and ACT one-on-one over Zoom, at 4pm-7pm UK and 5pm-8pm Central European time, and I know from my own time as a college athlete how to build preparation around a training calendar rather than against it.
Why this page exists on a test-prep site. I'm Blake Jensen, an SAT and ACT specialist of nearly twenty years and a former college basketball player. I recently helped a fencing recruit earn a perfect 36 on the ACT, which led to his recruitment at Johns Hopkins. Across my students, families have received more than $200,000 in scholarships. That's why I focus on the test score: it's the part of the academic file a family can still change.
From a family in Germany. "Blake's SAT preparation was a game-changer for my son, especially as an international student aiming for a top score to secure admission to highly competitive US colleges. Blake's personalized strategies and patient, encouraging guidance were instrumental in boosting my son's score by an impressive 110 points. This improvement definitely played a significant role in helping him get into one of his dream schools."
Daria Salus, SAT parent (Google review)
Find out what score your child's sport needs
Read do you need the SAT or ACT to be recruited? for the targets by tier, and how the pre-read works for the timing. Then see how tutoring works for UK and European students, or the pages for SAT tutoring, Digital SAT tutoring, and ACT tutoring, all available online. Or contact me for a free 15-minute call.
New to US recruiting altogether? Start with the overview: US university sports recruitment explained for UK and European families.
Frequently asked questions
Are there squash scholarships in the USA?
Very few. College squash isn't an NCAA sport and its strongest programmes are at universities that don't give athletic aid. The value of squash is a recruited place at an Ivy League or top Division III college, plus need-based financial aid if your family qualifies. See the squash guide.
Does men's rowing get scholarships in America?
Rarely. Men's rowing isn't NCAA-sponsored, and although there's no scholarship cap, few programmes fund much athletic aid. Women's rowing is different: it's an NCAA sport with substantial scholarship money at well-funded universities. The rowing guide covers both pathways.
Are there sailing scholarships at US universities?
In practice, no. College sailing is run outside the NCAA and its varsity programmes are at universities that recruit for admissions, not money. Yale, Harvard, Brown, Georgetown, Boston College, Navy, and Stanford are among the strongest. See the sailing guide.
How much is a tennis or golf scholarship worth?
Usually a fraction of total costs. Full scholarships exist at some well-funded programmes, but partial awards are typical. Academic merit aid triggered by SAT/ACT scores can significantly increase the total package. See the tennis and golf guides.
What is the House settlement and does it change this?
A 2025 legal settlement that removed sport-by-sport scholarship caps for Division I universities that opt in, replacing them with roster limits. In theory a university can now fund every athlete on a roster. In practice, funding in golf, tennis, and rowing has increased only at a few wealthy programmes. Ask each coach how many scholarship equivalents the programme actually funds.
Are there fencing scholarships in the USA?
Usually partial ones. Since the 2025 House settlement, Division I programmes that opted in have no sport-specific cap and may fund up to a 24-athlete roster, but few fencing programmes are funded near that level. The Ivy League and Division III give none. See the fencing guide.
Is an admissions advantage really worth more than a scholarship?
For many families, yes. A coach-supported place at a university that meets full financial need can be worth more, in money, than a partial scholarship at a university that doesn't, and the degree itself is one that isn't otherwise obtainable. It depends on your family's finances and your child's goals, which is why it's worth deciding on the currency first.
Programme lists are illustrative, not exhaustive, and reflect strong programmes as of August 2026. Scholarship funding varies by university and season. Confirm current funding, testing, and aid policies directly with each university.