College Rowing Scholarships and Requirements
How rowing scholarships work for men's and women's teams, which college programs can offer aid, and what coaches look for before you reach out.
Which Colleges Offer Rowing Scholarships?
Explore rowing 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 Rowing Scholarships
NCAA Division I rowing can offer scholarships. Opted-in schools use a roster limit of 68 instead of a scholarship cap.
NCAA Division II Rowing Scholarships
NCAA Division II rowing teams share 20 scholarship equivalencies, so awards are often partial.
NCAA Division III Rowing 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 Rowing 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 Rowing 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 Rowing Scholarships Work?
College rowing 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 rowing aid, and what you need to qualify for a rowing scholarship.
What Is a Rowing Athletic Scholarship?
An athletic scholarship is financial aid a college gives an athlete to compete for its rowing 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 Rowing 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 rowing teams share 20 scholarship equivalencies. Ask each rowing coach how the program splits its aid across the roster.
NCAA Division I Rowing 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 rowing, the limit is 68.
NAIA and Junior College Rowing 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 Rowing 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 Rowing Scholarships
Colleges offer rowing scholarships to athletes they recruit, so the conversation usually starts with a coach who knows who you are. When you write, lead with your 2K erg time, height and weight, and side and include a video of you rowing in a boat or on the erg. A coach decides based on their roster needs, their budget and what they see in you, and no one can promise an offer.
What Rowing Coaches Evaluate
What coaches check for each part of your rowing, and what to send when you ask about aid.
Erg scores
- 2000m erg time
- Split and consistency
- Improvement over recent tests
- Your 2k time with the date and a photo or screenshot
- Your 6k time if you have one
- Your weight on test day
On-water results
- Boat class and results
- Seat in the boat and crew level
- Technique and boat feel
- Regatta results and your boat
- Video of you rowing
- Your coach's contact information
Size and build
- Height and wingspan
- Weight and body composition
- Growth and room to develop
- Height, weight and wingspan
- Your strength and conditioning notes
- Whether you row sweep or scull
Coxswains
- Voice, communication and steering
- Weight and size
- Racing experience
- Audio or video from a race
- Your weight
- Regatta results
College Rowing Programs by Level and Team
Division I has the most college rowing programs we list (95 of 179). The most are in New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. We list 400+ rowing coaches you can contact.
How Do You Get a Rowing Scholarship?
Get answers about rowing scholarship requirements, NCAA divisions, scholarship amounts, and how to get recruited by college rowing coaches.
Do college rowing coaches recruit novices?
Many programs recruit athletes with no rowing background, based on athletic profile, size and erg scores. Tell coaches your sport background and send your best erg result. Find rowing coaches.
What erg time do I need for a rowing scholarship?
There is no single time. It depends on your size, weight category and the program, so look at a program's recruiting guidance and ask the coach where your 2k would place.
How much can a Division II rowing team give?
Division II rowing teams share 20 scholarship equivalencies, which a coach divides among a large roster. That makes partial awards common, so ask each coach what the program offers.
Is rowing a women's sport in the NCAA?
At the NCAA level, rowing is a women's sport, and the Division I roster limit is 68. AthleticScholar also lists men's and co-ed programs where colleges field them.
How many scholarships can a rowing team give?
At Division I schools that opted into the House settlement, rowing uses a roster limit of 68 in place of a scholarship cap. Division II rowing teams share 20 scholarship equivalencies. NAIA and NJCAA set their own limits, so confirm the current figures with each college.
Are men's and women's rowing scholarships different?
The NCAA's Division I roster limit is 68. Division II rowing teams share 20 scholarship equivalencies. AthleticScholar lists more than 80 men's and 100 women's college rowing programs, and each college decides what aid each team offers. Browse rowing colleges.
What are the requirements for a rowing 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 2K erg time, height and weight, and side. NAIA and NJCAA have their own rules. NCAA Eligibility Center.
Do Division III rowing programs offer scholarships?
No. Division III schools cannot award athletic scholarships, and AthleticScholar lists 50 Division III rowing programs. Many offer academic merit and need-based aid, and their coaches still recruit rowing athletes. Ask each program about aid and talk to the college's financial aid office. Find rowing 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.
- All college athletic scholarships
- Rowing recruiting guide
- Rowing coach email finder
- College program directory
- Men's rowing colleges
- Women's rowing colleges
- Acrobatics & Tumbling scholarships
- Archery scholarships
- Baseball scholarships
- Basketball scholarships
- Beach Volleyball scholarships
- Bowling scholarships
- Cheerleading scholarships
- Cross Country scholarships
- Dance scholarships
- Equestrian scholarships
- eSports scholarships
- Fencing scholarships
- Field Hockey scholarships
- Football scholarships
- Golf scholarships
- Gymnastics scholarships
- Ice Hockey scholarships
- Lacrosse scholarships
- Rifle scholarships
- Rugby scholarships
- Soccer scholarships
- Softball scholarships
- Swimming & Diving scholarships
- Tennis scholarships
- Track & Field scholarships
- Triathlon scholarships
- Volleyball scholarships
- Water Polo scholarships
- Wrestling scholarships
Getting sent isn't enough
Getting seen is what matters
Built on cutting-edge delivery technology, giving your rowing recruiting emails the highest chance of being seen
Your follow-ups, done for you
While others stop at one message, we send rowing follow-ups automatically so coaches don't forget you
