As the world of sports grows more and more every year, professionals in the sports management industry are becoming needed in many different positions. Most of these positions require a bachelor’s degree in sports management, so you’ll need to attend a four-year school before you’re qualified for a job as a coach, trainer, marketer, athletic director, event coordinator, agent, or other sports industry staff member. Unfortunately, college can be expensive, and many students can’t afford a degree without financial aid. For students who are committed to the field of sport management, but just can’t afford school, there are still options! The U.S. government gives millions of dollars of loans, grants, and tax breaks each year to help students get the degrees they desire.
Since sports management students are enrolling in school in increasing numbers every year, organizations, colleges, and other groups have been offering more and more sports management scholarships. Another reason for this is the fact that some of the highest ranking graduate programs in sports management also happen to be the most expensive.
Below is a list of scholarships offered exclusively to students studying sport management or athletic administration:
After looking into dedicated sport management scholarships, it is a good idea to check out general student aid available to students in any discipline. The government has several commonly available options that could really make a dent in your student debt, depending on your income and other variables:
Financing your education doesn’t have to be a hardship. Many students take advantage of the range of student aid options now available. In the 2007-08 school year, 66 percent of undergraduate students received some type of financial aid, according to The National Center for Education Statistics. Below is a breakdown of what percentages of those students received different types of aid, including grants, loans, veterans benefits, and work study employment.
Depending on your circumstances, other scholarships may be available to you. Check out Students.gov to see whether any other governmental or private scholarships might be available to help offset the cost of your education.
Once you’ve found scholarships from the government and outside organizations, it’s time to see what options your school has to offer. Many colleges offer merit-based scholarships for students who got exceptional grades or showed leadership potential in high school. Colleges also tend to offer scholarships within certain departments, so talk to an advisor from your school of choice and see what they have to offer you.
The cost difference between online and on-campus schools can be large, but higher education is expensive any way you look at it. The bulk of college expenses comes from the cost per-credit-hour of actual classes, with books and other materials further padding the bill, and if you go to a campus college, housing and food are also a financial drag.
University costs usually bend a little bit, depending on whether you are a full or part-time student, studying on or off campus, and depending what discipline you are studying. Full time students usually get a slight break on per-credit-hour tuition costs. Below is a breakdown of tuition and other costs for a few top universities with sport management programs.
The number of credit hours required for a bachelor’s degree can vary between schools, but most programs hover around 120 credit hours. Master’s degree programs can be anywhere from 25 to 50 credit hours, so you’ll have to contact your school of choice directly to get an estimate on tuition costs for a master’s degree or beyond in sport management. Multiply the per-credit-hour tuition cost by the number of credit hours required by your school to estimate your total tuition bill. You’ll have to factor in the cost of books and living expenses for a more precise estimate.
After looking at some of the costs per-credit-hour of sport management degrees, finding a way to pay for one might seem like a daunting task. If you already have a job in sport management, coaching, or athletic marketing, you might feel inclined to just stay in your current job and try to work your way up the ladder. That isn’t a bad strategy, but there are a few benefits that you’ll get from going back to school that you might not get from staying put.
Getting a degree in sport management isn’t for everyone, but if you’re passionate about the field, and want to participate in the sporting industry on the macro level, going back to school will be worth your while. Check out the list below for some of the top accredited online schools where you can get a bachelor’s or master’s degree in sport management without quitting your day job.
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