Many are the players who dream of becoming professional football players, reaching the top and enjoying a passion that moves many resources worldwide, but unfortunately only a few of them reach that status at a professional level and have also given up their academic training in favour of football due to the difficulty of combining sport and studies without the necessary external support or reinforcement.
But all is not lost for those who are looking for an opportunity to enjoy their passion for this global sport and at the same time study a university degree is a milestone that can be reached thanks to the scholarship programs to study in the United States that Soccer Inter-Action promotes among the players that make up our football school.
And it is in this case when the United States emerges as an ideal option for football players to continue their education from a sporting and academic perspective. Studying in the United States with scholarships is an opportunity to form part of a system that, in addition to providing sports facilities and resources of high added value, will contribute to obtaining an extraordinary academic return. Let’s not forget that the United States is home to the best universities in the world.
Choosing the most appropriate football school is paramount.
But playing college football in the United States, or rather, soccer, is a task that gradually becomes more complicated and requires an increasingly higher level of football, which gives the football school you choose a strong role in this effort to obtain the reward for a football training that should be comprehensive.
Choosing, therefore, the most appropriate football academy can mark your future not only professionally but also academically because the experience of studying with a sports scholarship in the United States is an achievement that can really be worth analysing and it does not represent a step backwards in the professional career that a player can have within the field of football but rather a unique opportunity to forge a professional career within the North American professional football since the university leagues work as a quarry for the MLS (Major League Soccer).
How is football structured in the United States?
College football in the United States is structured in three divisions and in order for the scouts and coaches of the different universities to look at a player, he must have a level, according to our sources, equivalent to an honours division in our country if you want to play in the first university division and a preferential level if you want to play in the other two divisions.
The player defends the colours of the university that has chosen him for the four years of his career. In each of these years you compete to win your conference and if you manage to win it or qualify you enter directly into the so-called National Championship where you have the opportunity to be proclaimed Champion, a title that is the goal of all the players who make up the university competition.
The preparation during the season is very hard and each player works out daily with his team from an individual and collective perspective. A typical day at an American university consists of a morning practice and a pre-college practice, leaving the actual competition for the weekend.
The university season is divided into two semesters, the first one from August to December in which they compete to win the National Championship and have two games per week, and then from January to June in which they play one game per week and serve as preparation for the following season.
How many universities offer football scholarships in the United States?
There are more than 1,600 universities with football teams and almost all of them offer football scholarships. The main body, the NCAA, has more than 1,000 universities in its divisions.
FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES
| ORGANISATION | NUMBER OF UNIVERSITIES | Nº MAX SCHOLARSHIPS X TEAM WOMEN | Nº MAX SCHOLARSHIPS X TEAM MEN |
| NCAAI | 331 | 14 | 9,9 |
| NCAAII | 257 | 9,9 | 9 |
| NCAAIII | 446 | – | – |
| NAIA | 204 | 12 | 12 |
| NJCAA | 236 | 18 | 18 |
| OTRAS | 193 | – | – |
What are the requirements that universities ask for in order to obtain football scholarships in the USA?
- HIGH-MEDIUM LEVEL OF SPORT
- NOT HAVING HAD A PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT
- SAT AND TOEFL EXAMS
- HIGH SCHOOL AVERAGE
- SPORTS VIDEO OR SHOWCASES
A high value-added service for Soccer Inter-Action players
At Soccer Inter-Action we help our players to find the best solution for their future and as part of our training programmes they have at their disposal a complete analysis, advice and management service that will allow them to apply for sports scholarships in the United States.
Our pedagogical department is in charge of guiding our players in a comprehensive way to help them make the most suitable decision. We also help to develop the audio-visual material you need.
Reaching a good competitive level in this case is crucial, the better level you reach the better chances you have. Access to these Division I Universities guarantees you full scholarships. But there are plenty of scholarships for mid-level players. Most of the mid-level players opt for Division II or NAIA universities, but getting a 100% scholarship will be very difficult and you will have to foresee to finance part of your study expenses. The level of education at these universities is excellent.
Conclusion on how to get scholarships to study in the USA
Playing college soccer in the United States is an opportunity that a select few have at their fingertips, and we say select because as you can see, the level of demand is increasing. Getting a scholarship to study for free in the United States is not as easy as it sometimes seems. This shows that it is becoming increasingly difficult and complex to get to play in the United States as their coaches are probing a global market that is becoming increasingly higher level and that presents a multitude of opportunities and players to choose from.
Therefore, choosing the right football school to forge the necessary base to reach a good football level becomes a key decision to be able to provide the player with the necessary resources that will allow him to opt for the different options that he will find when the time comes to define his true professional career. Studying in the United States with an athletic scholarship should be a well-planned path, with a minimum of 18 months before the start of the academic year. Admission exams must be carefully prepared. A good academic record is required if you are not a real sports star. Preparation must be thorough. SAT Subject Tests with SAT over 1400 points and TOEFL over 100 points. And you have to have a minimum financial capacity, because 100% scholarships are not available to everyone. But there is no doubt that the university education system in the United States is the best in the world, and it is in your hands to access it.
.
