Athletic Aid Information

Below you will find Frequently Asked Questions about Athletic Aid, click a question to reveal the answers.

Your athletic aid offer can be found on your Tender of Financial Assistance Form. The amount is determined once a year by the Head Coach of your sport (with guidance from the Athletic Department). Some student-athletes will receive a full grant-in-aid. Some will receive a full Cost of Attendance (COA) scholarship. Other will receive a percentage or a fixed dollar amount.

Athletic scholarships are written for one (1) academic year only and do not include any interim term (summer). Rules concerning the renewals and non-renewal of athletic aid are governed by NCAA regulations and are set forth below.

A full grant-in-aid is an athletic award that covers tuition, academic fees, room, board, and a book allowance. Certain sports may also include a Cost of Attendance (COA) stipend in a full grant-in-aid.

The Cost of Attendance for any student to attend Indiana State University (including non-athletes) is comprised of actual cost for tuition and estimated cost for room, board, books/supplies, transportation, personal expenses, and loan fees. Click here to read about our standard Cost of Attendance.

Even with a full grant-in-aid, a student athlete's award will often be less than the standard Cost of Attendance.

If you qualify for an institutional merit scholarship, a State grant, or a Federal Pell grant, those can be combined with athletic aid. However, all institutional and non-institutional financial aid (other than loans and Pell grants) is awarded to a student athlete's aid package first with athletic aid awarded afterwards.

If you have received an outside scholarship from a private entity (e.g., rotary clubs, booster clubs, etc.) the Financial Aid Office will contact that scholarship provider to determine if the scholarship meets the NCAA and institutional requirements in order to determine if it is the type of aid a student athlete may receive. Please visit with your head coach with questions. If that does not provide you the answers you need, please contact us with your questions about combining outside scholarships with other types of aid.

If you are eligible for BOTH a Pell grant and a full athletic grant-in-aid that includes a COA stipend, you can get aid in the amount of your Cost of Attendance plus your Pell grant.

Otherwise, the maximum aid that you can get with all types of aid combined is the amount of your Cost of Attendance at Indiana State University

In most cases, yes, you can borrow a Federal Direct Stafford Loan and your parents may also qualify for a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan. For more information on loans, visit our pages for Federal Direct Stafford Loan and Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan.

The total of your aid package (grants, scholarships, and athletic aid) cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance (unless you have been awarded a Pell grant and a full athletic grant-in-aid, in which case you can exceed the Cost of Attendance by the amount of the Pell grant).

Athletic aid, State aid, and Federal aid will not pay for:

  • Change of course fees
  • Late registration fees
  • Late payment fees
  • Residence hall fines (damage, lost keys, etc.)
  • Parking fines
  • Parking permit
  • Library fees
  • Tax withholding for international student athletes
  • Any other charge, fee, or fine that is not related to academics, courses or programs.

Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability to may be reduced or cancelled during the period of the award only under limited conditions, namely, if a recipient:

Does not satisfy the stated ISU, Conference, or NCAA academic requirements for like scholarships or financial aid;

Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate athletic competition;

Voluntarily withdraws from the team;

Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement;

Competes on a team which is sponsored by an agency or group other than Indiana State University during the academic year;

Fails to compete during both segments of a split season;

Violates regulations and standards of the team, athletic department, or ISU;

Is found in possession of a firearm or deadly weapon on campus or while involved in team practice, competition or during team travel;

Is found to have participated in any gambling activities prohibited by NCAA rules.

For questions about any of the above circumstances, review the Student-Athlete Handbook at http://gosycamores.com under the STUDENT ATHLETES heading.

Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability may NOT be reduced or cancelled during the period of its award:

  • On the basis of a student athlete's athletics ability, performance or contribution to a team's success;
  • Because of an injury or illness that prevents the recipient from participating in athletics; or
  • For any other athletically related reason.
    If an athletic scholarship is reduced, cancelled, or not renewed by the Athletic department, the Office of Student Financial Aid will provide the scholarship recipient written notice of the revised award, including all rights and procedures available to the recipient to appeal such a decision.

The renewal of institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability will be made on or before July 1 prior to the coming academic year.

Pursuant to NCAA rules and regulations, the ISU Office of Student Financial Aid must and will notify each student athlete who received an athletic aid award of any amount or duration during the previous academic year (who has eligibility remaining in his or her given sport) whether the athletic aid will be renewed or not renewed (including reductions) for the ensuing academic year. This notification must be in writing and must be sent on or before July 1st each year.

For renewal requirements for non-athletic scholarships, State aid and Federal aid, visit our Types of Aid page and review the renewal requirements under each type.