The Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Graduate Scholarship were developed by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics and the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee.

The goal of the enhancement programs is to increase the pool of and opportunities for qualified minority and female candidates in intercollegiate athletics through graduate scholarships.

The NCAA awards $10,000 to 13 ethnic minorities and 13 female college graduates who will be entering their initial year of graduate studies. The applicant must be seeking admission or have been accepted into a sports administration or program that will help the applicant obtain a career in intercollegiate athletics, such as athletics administrator, coach, athletic trainer or a career that provides a direct service to intercollegiate athletics. 

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. 

All application materials must be submitted by  February 1, 2024. The scholarship will be for use during the  2024-25 academic year only.

Eligibility

Students or student-athletes at an active NCAA member institution who:

• Are at least in their final season of NCAA athletics eligibility or will not be using any remaining athletics eligibility.
• 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.
• Are seeking admission or have been accepted into a sports administration or other graduate program that will assist the applicant in obtaining a career in intercollegiate athletics (athletics administrator, coach, athletic trainer or other career that provides a direct service to intercollegiate athletics).
• Must enroll in an NCAA member institution on a full-time basis.
• Are outstanding citizens and excellent role models for the institution and intercollegiate athletics.
• Applicants must have performed with distinction as a student body member at their respective undergraduate institution. The applicant's involvement in extracurricular activities, course work, commitment to pursuing a career in intercollegiate athletics and promise for success in such a career will be considered.

Additionally, a scholarship recipient may not use more than one NCAA award for graduate studies. Foreign applicants ARE eligible to receive an NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Graduate Scholarship.

Online Instructions

Application must be completed by the student or student-athlete.  Applications submitted by faculty and staff will not be accepted or reviewed by the committee.

• Log in to the Program Hub and complete a profile.
• Applicants may complete and save his or her application as they go along; however, the system will time-out after approximately 5 minutes of inactivity.
• Applicants must upload official transcripts to complete the application.  Official transcripts can be scanned and uploaded to the system as a .pdf document.  You must upload all transcripts at one time.  Please ensure the transcript reflects ALL undergraduate work.
• Applicants will provide email addresses for three individuals asked to complete a letter of recommendation.  Recommendation emails are generated after the applicant submits his or her application section.  NOTE:  Notify the endorsers that he or she will receive an email message with a link to complete their endorsement.
• You may check the status of your nomination by using the application tab at the top of the form.  It is imperative that you track your application’s progress, including submission of the three letters of recommendation.

Application sections

1. Applicant section:  To be completed by the student/student-athlete; which includes a formal personal statement.
2. Three letters of recommendation, by three different people are required:
   1. Academic advisor or athletics administrator;
   2. Professor teaching in the discipline of the student/student-athlete’s baccalaureate degree;
   3. Someone in the position to speak about your community service and leadership.

Please note:  All recommendations should be viewed as formal recommendations for the applicant.

Selection process

A subcommittee from the Committee on Women's Athletics selects 13 scholarship recipients, and a subcommittee from the Minorities Opportunities and Interests Committee selects 13 scholarship recipients.  Need will not be a factor in granting these scholarships.  An award or a fellowship from a non-NCAA source shall not preclude the applicant from being considered for an NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Programs' Graduate Scholarship. A scholarship recipient may not use more than one NCAA scholarship for graduate studies.

Notification process

Each applicant who applied is notified if they have or have not been selected as scholarship recipient in April.  An acceptance form and list of policies that govern the award are included with the notification letter. Notifications are sent to the address listed on the application.

NCAA Career in Sports Forum

Eligible recipients awarded the scholarship will be given the opportunity to attend CSF.

The NCAA Career in Sports Forum (CSF) is an annual educational forum held May 2024. It brings together 200 selected student-athletes and scholarship recipients Indianapolis that brings together 200 selected student-athletes and scholarship recipients for four days to learn and explore potential careers in sports, with the primary focus on intercollegiate athletics.  The CSF is designed to assist attendees in charting their career paths, to give them the opportunity to network and to learn from current athletics professionals.  The cost of airfare, lodging, meals and program materials will be covered by the NCAA. 

  Eligible scholarship recipients:

•   Must be Third, fourth- or fifth-year student-athletes.  Graduate student-athletes are also eligible to attend if graduated before the forum dates
•   Have participated in an NCAA-sponsored sport during the current academic year at the time of the application deadline.  Cannot have previously attended the Career in Sports Forum

Contact us

For more information about the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics, please contact Lori Thomas at 317/917-6683 or e-mail at lthomas@ncaa.org.