COLUMBIA Mo. – A new study suggests that the so-called “free ride” for college scholarship athletes isn’t quite so free.
The report by Ithaca College researchers and a national athletes’ advocacy group shows that the average “full scholarship” Division I athlete winds up having to pay $2,951 annually in school-related expenses not covered by grants-in-aid.
The shortfall represents the difference between educational expenses such as tuition, student fees, room and board and ancillary costs not covered by scholarships, from campus parking fees to calculators and computer disks required for classes.
At some schools, the shortfall can approach or exceed tuition costs. At Arkansas-Little Rock, for instance, the 2009 shortfall is nearly $11,000, said Ramogi Huma, a former UCLA linebacker who now heads the National College Players Association.
“It’s really deceptive to use the words ‘full scholarship,’” he said. “There’s never an explanation for recruited athletes that the price tag for attending school falls short of the scholarship amount.”
The Little Rock school disputed that calculation, suggesting its gap between athletic scholarships and the actual cost of attendance is closer to $4,100 a year.
College athletes whose academic expenses are not fully covered by scholarships are more susceptible to the influence of money-wielding sports agents, Huma suggested. In a recent Sports Illustrated report, a former agent said he paid more than 30 college football players from 1990 to 1996. Seven of the athletes confirmed that account.
