More than $6 million in scholarship money is offered each season by bowling associations and councils, certified tournaments and proprietors throughout the United States.

The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) for one, has quite a few programs. Here are a couple samples of the scholarships that the USBC offers:

The Gift for Life Scholarship

Every year, 12 scholarships of this kind are awarded to high school students who are financially incapable of attending college and getting a degree would be impossible. This scholarship (worth $1,000) will be given to each of the selected group of 6 boys and 6 girls. They should be a Grade 9-12 high school student, with a 2.0 GPA or higher, a current member of the USBC and should have not participated in any professional bowling tournament (not including professional amateur tournaments).

In commemoration of the heroes of the September 11 tragedy, two of The Gift of Life Scholarships shall be given to a child of a fireman, a police officer, or rescue personnel.

Who’s Who Sports Edition All-Academic Bowling Team

For this category, scholarship worth $1,000 shall be given away to about 20 high school students who are currently in their junior or senior year, have a 3.0 GPA or higher, are a current member of the USBC and have not participated in any professional bowling tournament (not including professional amateur tournaments). The 20 fortunate students who would qualify shall comprise a team. Aside from the scholarship, they shall also be given a special team award.

The criterion for selecting the All-Academic Bowling Team is based on the grades of each applicant, their commitment to their studies and the community, reference letters and an essay.

The United States Bowling Congress has a wealth of information at www.bowl.com/scholarships. I would encourage you to check the site to get more information on the programs available and participating colleges and universities. You may even download applications for a number of financial awards that are given out annually.

Although mostly smaller colleges offer bowling scholarships, there are some larger ones that also participate. Some of the colleges include:

Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, AL.

Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, IN.

Delaware State University in Dover, DE.

Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL.

University of Houston in Houston, TX.

Jackson State University in Jackson, MS.

Ohio State University in Westerville, OH

While many readers are currently looking for financial aid for college in the near future, it is wise to start planning ahead for the long term. If you are currently a few years away from attending a university and enjoy bowling, you may just be able to finance all or part of your education with something you enjoy competing in now. Bowling scholarships are available, but they only go to the best of the best. I hope that is you!

For more information on bowling scholarships, please visit http://www.bowlersedgeonline.com

However athletic scholarships do not come easily because there are so many talented students. They are designed for students who excel in sports and who also are able to acquire a good grade average. Depending on the sport, some scholarships are harder to get than others. It is contingent upon how may students are applying and how many qualified applicants they have.

If you are one of these student athletes who is interested in acquiring a scholarship, you should begin looking at colleges and universities as early as your sophomore year. The first step is to look for the colleges which have academic programs that are similar to your interests.

It depends on the college but, you may want to think about applying to a smaller college, because you may stand out from the crowd. You certainly have the option to apply to larger schools, but the competition is going to be much stiffer.

You may also want to take into consideration that the stakes will be much higher at the college level. The first step would be to speak with your trainer or coach and find out if you have the potential to play on a college and possibly a professional level at some point.

The competition is much more advanced and there will be a wide variety of good and great athletes that you will be competing with. If you are a great player in your community, however on a larger scale you may be considered mediocre.

There are several ways to apply for an athletic scholarship. You may want to obtain several applications. There are several athletic scouts who have some advice for you. They travel around the country looking for talented athletes in specific sports.

Your sophomore year is very important. You need to maintain very high grades to meet the academic requirements. Also take stock of your accomplishments as an athlete. Speak to your coach and request advice and recommendations.

Also, take into consideration the schools that offer a balance between sports and academics. Remember you have to excel at academics as well as sports. Visit the colleges you are interested in attending and speak to the coaches and academic advisors. Let them know what you have achieved and that you are eager to learn more and to excel in sports and academics.

Let them know what you are very good at and also some areas that you believe that you could improve upon with their help. Certainly let them know that you are looking for a scholarship. Apply to as many schools as possible.