College Football Scholarships and Requirements
How football scholarships work, which college programs can offer aid, and what coaches look for before you reach out.
Which Colleges Offer Football Scholarships?
Explore football programs across NCAA Division I, Division II, NAIA and junior colleges that can offer athletic scholarships. Division III schools don't award them but may offer academic and need-based aid.
NCAA Division I Football Scholarships
NCAA Division I football can offer scholarships. Opted-in schools use a roster limit of 105 instead of a scholarship cap.
NCAA Division II Football Scholarships
NCAA Division II football teams share 36 scholarship equivalencies, so awards are often partial.
NCAA Division III Football Scholarships
NCAA Division III schools can't award athletic scholarships, but coaches still recruit. Many offer academic and need-based aid through the financial aid office.
NAIA Football Scholarships
NAIA colleges can offer athletic scholarships, but each school decides how much within NAIA rules. Total aid can't exceed the cost of attending.
NJCAA Football Scholarships
NJCAA aid depends on the division: Division I can offer full scholarships, Division II covers tuition, fees and books, and Division III offers none.
How Do College Football Scholarships Work?
College football scholarships help student-athletes pay for college based on their athletic ability. Learn how full and partial scholarships work, which NCAA and NAIA schools offer football aid, and what you need to qualify for a football scholarship.
What Is a Football Athletic Scholarship?
An athletic scholarship is financial aid a college gives an athlete to compete for its football team. The college decides who receives one and how much, usually through the coaching staff. NCAA Division I and II schools, NAIA schools and some junior colleges can offer them. NCAA Division III schools cannot.
Full vs. Partial Football Scholarships
A full scholarship covers the main costs of attending, and a partial scholarship covers part of them. The NCAA says most athletics scholarships are partial, and athletes often combine them with academic awards and need-based aid. Division II football teams share 36 scholarship equivalencies. Ask each football coach how the program splits its aid across the roster.
NCAA Division I Football Scholarship Rules
In June 2025 the NCAA Division I Board adopted roster limits to replace sport-specific scholarship limits. They apply to schools in the defendant conferences and to schools that opt in to the settlement rules, and they took effect July 1, 2025. Those schools can offer partial or full scholarships to any athlete on their roster, within the roster limit. Schools that have not opted in follow different rules, so you cannot assume one limit applies everywhere. Ask each program what it can offer. For football, the limit is 105.
NAIA and Junior College Football Scholarships
NAIA first-time athletes need an eligibility determination from the NAIA Eligibility Center, and each NAIA college decides what athletic aid to offer within the NAIA limits for its sports. NJCAA colleges follow their division: Division I may offer full scholarships, Division II covers tuition, fees and books, and Division III offers none. Always confirm a college's level before you plan around aid.
Athletic vs. Academic Football Scholarships
Students in every division can receive academic scholarships, grants and need-based aid. Division III schools do not give athletic scholarships, so their athletes rely on these other types of aid. Many athletes at other levels combine athletic aid with them.
How to Qualify for Football Scholarships
Colleges offer football scholarships to athletes they recruit, so the conversation usually starts with a coach who knows who you are. When you write, lead with your position, height and weight, 40-yard dash and key stats and include a Hudl highlight video with your best plays first. A coach decides based on their roster needs, their budget and what they see in you, and no one can promise an offer.
What Football Coaches Evaluate
What coaches check for each position group, and what to send when you ask about aid.
Quarterbacks
- Arm strength, accuracy and decisions on film
- Height, weight and mobility
- Production against comparable competition
- Full-game film plus a highlight cut
- Completion percentage, yards and touchdowns
- Height, weight and 40-yard time
Running backs
- Vision, burst and tackle-breaking on film
- Timed speed
- Pass catching and blocking
- Highlights at game speed
- Rushing yards and yards per carry
- Height, weight and 40-yard time
Receivers and tight ends
- Release, route running and hands
- Speed and size for your position
- Blocking effort for tight ends
- Film of routes against coverage
- Receptions, yards and touchdowns
- Height, weight and 40-yard time
Offensive line
- Height, weight and length
- Footwork, leverage and finish
- Pass protection and run blocking
- Film from full games, not only highlights
- Height, weight and wingspan
- Strength numbers if you track them
Defensive line and linebackers
- Get-off, power and pursuit
- Size and speed for your position
- Tackling and pass-rush production
- Plays that show instincts and finish
- Tackles, sacks and tackles for loss
- Height, weight and 40-yard time
Defensive backs
- Speed, change of direction and ball skills
- Coverage technique on film
- Tackling in open space
- Coverage snaps and open-field tackles
- Interceptions and passes defended
- Height, weight and 40-yard time
Kickers and punters
- Accuracy and distance with steady mechanics
- Hang time for punters
- Results in game situations
- Video of kicks from different distances
- Field goal range and percentage
- Camp or showcase results
College Football Programs by Level and Team
Division I has the most college football programs we list (267 of 895). The most are in Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio. We list 6,000+ football coaches you can contact.
How Do You Get a Football Scholarship?
Get answers about football scholarship requirements, NCAA divisions, scholarship amounts, and how to get recruited by college football coaches.
Do football recruits have to attend camps to get a scholarship?
No rule requires it. Camps and combines let coaches see you in person and time your speed, but coaches also recruit from film and from your high school coach. Ask each program how it evaluates recruits at your position. Find football coaches.
Do football coaches look at film or stats first?
Film comes first. Stats and measurables help a coach decide whether to keep watching, but the film shows speed, technique and decisions. Send full games along with a highlight cut.
How big and fast do I need to be for a football scholarship?
There is no single standard. It depends on your position, the division and the program. Compare your height, weight and timed speed with players at your position on each roster, then ask the position coach where you would fit.
How do I know if a football program is recruiting my position?
Look at the roster for seniors at your position, then ask the position coach whether the program is recruiting your class there. AthleticScholar does not track which positions are open.
How many scholarships can a football team give?
At Division I schools that opted into the House settlement, football uses a roster limit of 105 in place of a scholarship cap. Division II football teams share 36 scholarship equivalencies. NAIA and NJCAA set their own limits, so confirm the current figures with each college.
What are the requirements for a football scholarship?
There are two parts. To compete in NCAA Division I or II you register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, complete 16 core courses and reach a minimum core GPA, currently 2.3 for Division I and 2.2 for Division II, and standardized test scores are no longer required for initial eligibility. Then a coach decides on an offer from roster needs, budget and what they see in you, starting with your position, height and weight, 40-yard dash and key stats. NAIA and NJCAA have their own rules. NCAA Eligibility Center.
Do Division III football programs offer scholarships?
No. Division III schools cannot award athletic scholarships, and AthleticScholar lists 254 Division III football programs. Many offer academic merit and need-based aid, and their coaches still recruit football athletes. Ask each program about aid and talk to the college's financial aid office. Find football coaches.
Does AthleticScholar give out scholarships?
No. AthleticScholar does not award scholarships or verify which colleges currently have scholarships available. It helps you find college programs and email their coaches so you can ask directly.
Athletic Scholarships in Other Sports
See how scholarships work and which colleges offer them in another sport.
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