Scholarship Information
How do Scholarships Work ?
PLAYER FIRST PHILOSOPHY – EDUCATION THROUGH SOCCER
Are you serious about a scholarship? Do you want to be a high level student athlete?
BDA is the right choice to gain maximum exposure by Universities across Canada and the USA.
Join the #1 scholarship program in Canada today!
To provide every player in Ontario with a free education, be it in Canada or the US via the most credible soccer programs. One built upon the expertise, passion and discipline of our founding members and operated under competent and caring leadership.
First
Join the BDA 6 month winter Scholarship Program and create your own media page (Hard Copy & On-Line)
Second
Travel to showcase your talents vs D1, D2, NAIA, NJCAA + CDN Schools.
These showcases include playing a full 90 Minute game along with a tour of the school itself.
Finally
Get recruited by coaches and schools and commit to your future team!
Top Tips For Scholarship Attainment
- Gain maximum exposure; through our program you will play almost 40 games throughout the USA.
- Visit and tour the school and meet with their respective academic advisers along with coaching staff and current team players to gain understanding of the college game.
- Make sure your educational needs are met. Try to attain at least a 3.5 GPA and complete the SAT and ACT.
- A Student-Athlete is exactly that. Don’t limit your chances by not working your hardest in both aspects!
NCAA Rule Changes
All new rule changes for the NCAA can be viewed on their site. Click here for more information!
NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA: What’s the Difference?
If you are looking to get a sports scholarship in America, you’ve got a lot of options. The main organizations which give out sports scholarships are the NCAA, NAIA, and the NJCAA. Here we will go over the differences between these organizations, and how to know which sports scholarship to go for.
NCAA
The National College Athletics Association (NCAA) is the most well-known and esteemed college sports organization in the USA. When people think about college sports, it is usually the NCAA which comes to mind.
There are three divisions of the NCAA. Divisions 1 and 2 are the only ones which offer scholarships! Whereas the NCAA D1 and D2 schools are large public universities, the D3 is usually small private colleges. While you won’t be able to get an athletic scholarship at the D3 level, you might be able to get an academic scholarship.
The NCAA D1 is very competitive. Because of the stricter rules about eligibility, most foreign players play at the D2 level. It is also possible to start out at the D2 level and (after 2 years) and then move to play at the D1 level.
- Mostly large public universities
- Includes 1,281 schools/institutions, conferences, and other associations
- About 450,000 athletes in NCAA
- Strict regulations about coach-player contacts
- Division 1 has stricter eligibility requirements
- Average scholarship amount for D1: about $14,000
- Average scholarship amount for D2: about $5,000
- Website: www.ncaa.com
For access to the latest rules & regulations, please visit the NCAA Eligibility Center: https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/
NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes is mostly comprised of smaller private universities. The athletic and academic standards aren’t as high as with the NCAA, and there are fewer rules about foreign athletes. This makes the NAIA a good choice for international athletes looking for scholarships.
Just because the athletic standard is lower than with the NCAA, it doesn’t mean that the NAIA isn’t competitive or is subpar. The NAIA D1 is on par with the NCAA D2.
- Mostly smaller private colleges
- 255 member institutions
- Many foreign players
- Average D1 scholarship amount: $6,000
- Website: www.naia.org
NJCAA
The National Junior College Athletic Association is considered the baby of sports scholarships. It is made up of 2-year community colleges. In the United States, community colleges are usually small, and have few (or no) academic requirements for acceptance. Their areas of study are usually broader as well. Because community colleges are so much cheaper than large public universities, many students in the US first attend community colleges and then transfer the course credits over to a larger university later.
The NJCAA athletic teams aren’t going to draw in big crowds like the NCAA or NAIA does, and the facilities aren’t going to be as great. However, athletes shouldn’t dismiss NJCAA scholarships completely. The NJCAA is a good option for students who didn’t get accepted to the NCAA or NAIA because of academics. They can spend two years at the community college getting their grades up, and then try for a NCAA or NAIA scholarship. The NJCAA is also a good way for foreign players to get noticed by coaches. Coaches often prefer to take players from the NJCAA because they have proven their dedication and their ability to balance life as a student athlete.
- 2-year community colleges
- 525 membership schools
- Stepping stone to the NCAA or NAIA
- Low/no academic requirements
- Low eligibility requirements
- Average scholarship amount: about $2,000
- Website: www.njcaa.org
2019 BDA Pathway Booklet
You can view the 2019 BDA Pathway Booklet below or click here to download the .pdf file.