NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. It provides a $10,000 one-time award given to student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically, and who plan to pursue graduate school. Up to 126 scholarships are awarded each year—split evenly between men and women—across the fall, winter and spring sport seasons.

All former student-athletes who earned an undergraduate degree from an NCAA member school are eligible to be nominated by that school for an NCAA graduate degree scholarship, regardless of when they received their undergraduate degree.

Who's Eligible?

Student-athletes at an active NCAA member institution who:

• Must be in final season of NCAA athletics eligibility or must have completed athletic eligibility,
• Must be in final year of undergraduate academic work or received an undergraduate degree.
• Have an overall undergraduate minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.200 (based on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent, including all undergraduate hours earned at all undergraduate institutions attended. The grade-point average may not include any graduate-level hours.
• Have performed with distinction as a varsity team member in the sport in which the student-athlete is being nominated. The degree of the student-athlete's athletics achievement will be weighed in conjunction with academic performance, institutional involvement, and volunteer community service. Nominators and individuals submitting recommendations should note participation in activities in which the student-athlete serves as an example to other students and demonstrates leadership qualities.
• Must enroll in a graduate degree-granting program on a part- or full-time basis at an academically accredited graduate or degree-granting professional school.
• Must be enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program within one-year after the academic year the scholarship was awarded. All funds must be used within the same academic year.
• The scholarship cannot be used to fund any undergraduate work.
• Are outstanding citizens and excellent role models for the institution and intercollegiate athletics.

[Note: Student-athletes attending a provisional member institution are not permitted to be nominated. Additionally, a scholarship recipient may not use more than one NCAA scholarship award for graduate studies. International student-athletes are eligible to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.]

How to be Nominated?

You must be nominated by your school's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) or their designee. They'll handle your nomination through the NCAA's Program Hub and you'll receive an email notification once it's been submitted.

Each NCAA school may nominate up to five student-athletes per gender, per sport season.

Nomination and Selection Process

There are three nomination periods each academic year based on sport seasons. The seasonal sports breakdown is listed below. Emerging sports are in bold. Remember: cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field are separate sports.

Fall nomination period

• Men's: Cross Country, Football, Soccer and Water Polo
• Women's: Cross Country, Equestrian, Field Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, Triathlon and Volleyball

Fall sports nomination deadline: January 5, 2026

Winter nomination period

• Men's: Basketball, Fencing, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track and Field, Rifle, Skiing, Swimming and Diving and Wrestling
• Women's: Basketball, Bowling, Fencing, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track and Field, Rifle, Skiing and Swimming and Diving and Wrestling.

Winter sports nomination deadline: March 9, 2026

Spring nomination period

• Men's: Baseball, Golf, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track and Field, Tennis and Volleyball
• Women's: Acrobatics and Tumbling,Golf, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track and Field, Rowing, Stunt, Beach Volleyball, Softball, Tennis and Water Polo.

Spring sports nomination deadline: May 4, 2026

Nominations are initially reviewed by seven regional selection committees. (see below for the regional breakdown). The regional selection committees forward finalists to the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee for its review. The Postgraduate Scholarship Committee selects each sports season 21 male awardees and five alternates and 21 female awardees. and five alternates