The NCAA limits financial aid for each sport in both Division
I and Division II. The NCAA counts athletic financial aid in
two categories:
- head-Count Sports. Used for some Division I sports. Any
athlete who receives institutional financial aid, no matter
the amount of aid, is counted as one. Head count limit
sports are only in Division I. Most, but not all, head count
awards are full grant-in-aid (full-rides). All NCAA Divi-
sion I institutions offer athletic scholarships. All awarded
scholarships are on a one-year basis, but can be renewed
yearly up to five years over a six-year time period.
- I-A Football: 85
- I-AA Football: 63
- Men’s Basketball: 13
- Ice Hockey: 30 counters/18 equivalencies
- Women’s Basketball: 15
- Women’s Gymnastics: 12
- Women’s Tennis: 8
- Women’s Volleyball: 12
- equivalency Sports. Any sports not listed above are consid-
ered equivalency sports. Generally, this means that one full
grant-in-aid (full-ride) can be divided among more than one
chapter 18
Financial Aid Limits