NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by National Collegiate Athletic Association

Overview
- The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, established in 1964, supports outstanding student-athletes who intend to continue their education in graduate or professional programs. The award is a one-time $10,000 scholarship. Each year up to 126 scholarships are distributed—equally between men and women—and are allocated across the fall, winter and spring sport seasons.

Who may be nominated
- Any former student-athlete who earned an undergraduate degree from an active NCAA member institution may be nominated by that institution, regardless of when the bachelor’s degree was conferred. (Student-athletes enrolled at provisional member institutions are not eligible for nomination.)

Core eligibility requirements (applicants must meet all of the following)
- Be at an active NCAA member school and either in their final season of NCAA athletics eligibility or have completed their athletic eligibility.
- Be in the final year of undergraduate academic work or already hold an undergraduate degree.
- Hold a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.200 on a 4.000 scale (or equivalent). This GPA calculation must include all undergraduate credit earned at every undergraduate institution attended and cannot include any graduate-level credits.
- Have distinguished themselves as a varsity team member in the sport for which they are nominated. Athletic accomplishments are weighed together with academic record, campus involvement and community service. Nominators and recommenders should document activities that demonstrate leadership and positive example-setting for other students.
- Intend to enroll in an accredited graduate or professional degree-granting program, either part time or full time.
- Begin graduate enrollment within one year following the academic year in which the scholarship is awarded; all scholarship funds must be used within that same academic year.
- Not use the scholarship to fund any undergraduate work.
- Serve as exemplary citizens and role models for their institutions and intercollegiate athletics.

Additional rules
- A recipient may not apply more than one NCAA scholarship award to graduate study (i.e., may not combine NCAA postgraduate scholarships).
- International student-athletes are eligible to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

How to be nominated
- Nominations must be submitted by the institution’s Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) or the FAR’s designated representative. The FAR/designee submits nominations through the NCAA Program Hub; nominees receive an email confirmation when their nomination is submitted.
- Each NCAA school may submit up to five nominees per gender for each sport season.

Nomination periods and sport breakdown
- Nominations are accepted in three seasonal windows each academic year (note that cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field are treated as distinct sports). Emerging sports are included in the lists below.

Fall nomination period (deadline: January 5, 2026)
- Men’s sports: Cross Country, Football, Soccer, Water Polo
- Women’s sports: Cross Country, Equestrian, Field Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, Triathlon, Volleyball

Winter nomination period (deadline: March 9, 2026)
- Men’s sports: Basketball, Fencing, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track and Field, Rifle, Skiing, Swimming and Diving, Wrestling
- Women’s sports: Basketball, Bowling, Fencing, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track and Field, Rifle, Skiing, Swimming and Diving, Wrestling

Spring nomination period (deadline: May 4, 2026)
- Men’s sports: Baseball, Golf, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track and Field, Tennis, Volleyball
- Women’s sports: Acrobatics and Tumbling, Golf, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track and Field, Rowing, Stunt, Beach Volleyball, Softball, Tennis, Water Polo

Selection process
- Initial review of nominations is conducted by seven regional selection committees. Those committees forward finalists to the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee for final consideration.
- For each sport season, the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee names 21 male recipients and five male alternates, and 21 female recipients and five female alternates.

If you want, I can help you draft a nomination summary or checklist your school’s FAR can use to prepare a submission.