NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by National Collegiate Athletic Association

Introduction - Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship supports student-athletes who intend to pursue graduate study by recognizing outstanding academic and athletic achievement. The award is a one-time $10,000 grant. Each year up to 126 scholarships are granted—equally divided between men and women—distributed across the fall, winter and spring sport nomination periods. Who may be nominated - Any former student-athlete who earned an undergraduate degree from an NCAA member institution may be nominated by that institution for this graduate scholarship, regardless of when the bachelor’s degree was conferred. - Student-athletes attending provisional member institutions are not eligible for nomination. - International student-athletes may receive the Postgraduate Scholarship. - A recipient may not accept more than one NCAA scholarship for graduate study. Eligibility criteria Nominees must meet all of the following: - Be affiliated with an active NCAA member school. - Either be in their final season of NCAA athletics eligibility or have completed their athletic eligibility. - Either be in their final year of undergraduate study or already hold an undergraduate degree. - Have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.200 on a 4.000 scale (or the equivalent). This GPA must include all undergraduate coursework from every undergraduate institution attended and must not include any graduate-level credits. - Have demonstrated distinction as a varsity team member in the sport for which they are nominated. Athletic accomplishment will be evaluated alongside academic record, campus involvement, community service, and leadership—nominators and recommenders should highlight activities where the nominee serves as a role model. - Plan to enroll, on a part- or full-time basis, in an accredited graduate or professional degree-granting program. - Begin graduate enrollment within one year after the academic year in which the scholarship is awarded, and use the scholarship funds during that same academic year. - Not use the scholarship to cover undergraduate coursework. - Be an outstanding citizen and a positive example for the institution and intercollegiate athletics. How to be nominated - Nominations must be submitted by the institution’s Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) or the FAR’s designee through the NCAA’s Program Hub. The nominee will receive an email confirmation after submission. - Each NCAA school may submit up to five nominations per gender for each sport season. Nomination windows, sports and deadlines - Nominations are accepted during three seasonal nomination periods (fall, winter, spring). Note that cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field are treated as separate sports. Emerging sports are included among the eligible sports. Fall nomination period (deadline January 5, 2026) - Men’s sports: Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Water Polo - Women’s sports: Cross Country, Equestrian, Field Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, Triathlon, Volleyball Winter nomination period (deadline March 9, 2026) - Men’s sports: Basketball, Fencing, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track and Field, Rifle, Skiing, Swimming and Diving, Wrestling - Women’s sports: Basketball, Bowling, Fencing, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track and Field, Rifle, Skiing, Swimming and Diving, Wrestling Spring nomination period (deadline May 4, 2026) - Men’s sports: Baseball, Golf, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track and Field, Tennis, Volleyball - Women’s sports: Acrobatics and Tumbling, Golf, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track and Field, Rowing, Stunt, Beach Volleyball, Softball, Tennis, Water Polo Selection process - Initial review of nominations is conducted by seven regional selection committees. Those committees advance finalists to the national Postgraduate Scholarship Committee. - For each sport season, the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee names 21 male scholarship recipients and five alternates, and 21 female scholarship recipients and five alternates. Across the three seasonal cycles this results in up to 126 scholarships awarded annually. If you need this rewritten in a different format (bullet points, table, or a one-page summary for distribution), tell me which format you prefer.