The Complete Guide to College Cheerleading Scholarships

You have spent countless hours perfecting your tumbling passes, mastering complex stunts, and leading the crowd on Friday nights. Now that you are looking ahead to college, you are likely wondering if those years of intense hard work can help pay for your higher education. The good news is that college cheerleading scholarships absolutely exist. However, the recruitment process and funding structures look quite different from traditional sports like football or basketball.

Here is a comprehensive look at how cheerleading scholarships work, what coaches are looking for, and how you can increase your chances of securing financial aid for your athletic talents.

Understanding College Cheer Funding

The most important thing to know is that traditional cheerleading is not officially recognized as a sanctioned championship sport by the NCAA. Because of this, cheer programs do not have the same standardized scholarship limits or budgets as sanctioned sports.

Funding for cheerleading teams usually comes from the university’s athletic department, student affairs budget, or alumni associations. This means the amount of money available varies wildly from one university to the next.

It is also important to note the rise of STUNT. STUNT is a competitive, head-to-head cheerleading format that is recognized as an emerging NCAA sport. Universities that offer STUNT programs often have dedicated athletic scholarship budgets specifically for these female athletes, operating much closer to traditional NCAA scholarship rules.

Scholarship Amounts and Benefits

If you are hoping for a guaranteed full-ride scholarship that covers tuition, room, and board, you need to adjust your expectations. While full rides do exist, they are incredibly rare in the cheerleading world.

Most cheerleading scholarships are partial awards. Here is what you can typically expect:

  • Financial Stipends: Many universities offer a set stipend per semester. This can range anywhere from $500 to $3,000 per year, depending on the division and the program’s budget.
  • Out-of-State Tuition Waivers: For highly competitive programs, a common and incredibly valuable scholarship is the out-of-state tuition waiver. If you are recruited to a school in another state, the university may waive the out-of-state fees, allowing you to pay the much lower in-state tuition rate. Top-tier programs like the University of Kentucky or the University of Central Florida frequently utilize these waivers for elite out-of-state talent.
  • Book Scholarships: Some programs offer smaller scholarships specifically designated to cover the cost of textbooks and course materials.
  • Junior College Opportunities: Do not overlook community colleges. Schools competing in the NJCAA, such as Navarro College or Trinity Valley Community College, are famous for their elite cheer programs and often offer substantial scholarship packages covering tuition and housing to attract the best athletes in the country.

Key Requirements for Applicants

College coaches are looking for well-rounded athletes who can handle the physical demands of the sport and the academic rigor of higher education.

Elite Athletic Skills

The specific skills required will depend on whether you are applying for an All-Girl or Coed team, and whether the team competes at UCA or NCA College Nationals. Generally, Division 1 competitive programs look for:

  • Tumbling: A standing back tuck and a running full twisting layout are often considered baseline requirements for top-tier teams.
  • Stunting: Coaches look for advanced, elite-level stunting experience. For Coed, this means unassisted toss stunts like toss extension or toss cupie. For All-Girl, this includes full-ups, rewinds, and elite dismounts.
  • Game Day Presence: College cheer is heavily focused on leading the crowd. Coaches evaluate your motion technique, voice projection, and overall collegiate image during fight song and sideline chant evaluations.

Academic Excellence

You are a student first. Almost every college cheerleading program requires a minimum GPA just to be eligible to try out. This minimum is usually around a 2.5 or 3.0. Maintaining good grades is crucial, as falling below the required GPA can result in the loss of your scholarship.

How to Get Recruited

You cannot wait for college coaches to find you. You must actively market yourself.

  1. Create a Skills Video: Compile a short, high-quality video showcasing your best unassisted tumbling, your most elite stunts, and a brief segment showing your game-day cheer motions.
  2. Attend College Clinics: Most universities host college prep clinics in the fall and spring. Attending these clinics is the single best way to get in front of the coaching staff. It shows your interest in their specific program and allows them to evaluate you in person.
  3. Contact Coaches Early: During your junior year of high school, start emailing the coaches of your target schools. Introduce yourself, attach your skills video, and express your interest in their upcoming clinics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do sideline-only cheerleaders get scholarships? Yes. Many universities that do not compete at national competitions still offer stipends or book scholarships to their game-day cheerleaders who support the football and basketball teams.

Can I get a scholarship for competitive All-Star cheerleading? Universities do not award scholarships for your participation on a private All-Star team. However, the elite tumbling and stunting skills you learn in All-Star cheer are exactly what college coaches are looking for, making you a highly recruit-able athlete for their college programs.