First of all, what is a sports scholarship and how are you eligible? At Newcastle, you must be a current student who has reached honours at a national or international level within the last 12 months. You must also commit to the university and BUCS programmes where applicable and be able to hit the top four for your sport.
Scholarships can go up to £5000, and these are handed out based on ability. The bursary can ease the financial burden that comes with high performance sport, covering travel expenses, training costs and allowing you access to the university’s facilities.
You’re able to access training programs, coaches that can help with performance analysis and networking opportunities that can help you in the future if you’re looking for a career in professional sports.
But this seems like a self perpetuating cycle. If you have the money to get the best training, you’re going to be better at your sport. If you’re the best in your sport, you’re then more likely to receive the funding offered.
a self perpetuating cycle
There has been a recent interest in breaking the financial barriers for getting into sports, but with the rising costs for memberships to the gym on top of clubs, many have been dissuaded from joining.
In this way, scholarships could be helpful to the students who have the talent without the resources to fully back up their training. Mostly, this system is set up to support those who already have the funds to further expand their sports careers.
helpful to the students who have the talent without the resources to fully back up their training
To achieve a scholarship in the UK, you must apply yourself, and not all sports qualify. Student-athletes can really benefit from these, by receiving support to compete further at national and international levels, but the way they are rewarded needs to be looked into.