The dream of many high school athletes is to continue playing their chosen sport at the collegiate level. The most economic and cost friendly way to continue playing is to be granted an athletic scholarship. However, according to CNBC only 2% of all graduating high school athletes will receive NCAA scholarships of any compensation.

Most colleges will look for athletes with good character, grades, and obviously athletic prowess. Celene Morris, senior volleyball captain, has committed to play volleyball for North Carolina Central University.

“It started to feel really good when I started gaining attention from schools,” said Morris

The road to a scholarship can be a large arduous grind; athletes will put in days’ worth of practice and hone their craft only to fall short in the end. Jake Klekamp is a senior catcher for the Guilford baseball team and has also received a scholarship.

“It is a great accomplishment and I’m very proud of myself and all the hard work I’ve put in to receive a scholarship.” said Klekamp.

In order to understand how scholarships are granted, it is crucial to know how they are divided up. With only a limited amount of scholarships and funding for each sport at every school, the number of scholarships given out may vary. NCAA and NJCAA Division I and II schools and NAIA schools are allowed to grant scholarships while Division III schools are not. The financial aid offered can range from small scholarships all the way to receiving a full ride.

After years of hard work, some athletes are now able to compete on a higher level and join an elite group of athletes who have received Division I scholarships.

“I was really nervous,” said Morris, “but I kinda always knew I wanted to go to North Carolina Central the whole time so it wasn’t too bad.”

Although few student athletes receive the scholarship of their dreams, they nevertheless have gained support from all of their peers and coaches to achieve their goal.

“Getting a scholarship is a test of patience, endurance, and discipline all in one,” said Klekamp. “Put in the work and it’ll come.”