Academic $ for JUCO transfer

Generally speaking, there is much less merit money available for transfer students. Zero is definitely a possibility. Information on aid for transfer students can generally be found on the school website - look for Financial Aid and then search for Transfer.

Did his coach tell him there was no academic $$ available? I ask because there may be some but someone in Financial Aid might know what scholarships may still have some $$ left and how to apply for them.

I'm not sure about all academic money, but two of the usual kinds of academic awards would be countable for transfer students:

15.02.4.3 Exempted Institutional Financial Aid describes an exempt honorary award, but it must be based on the student's academic record at the certifying institution. A transfer student doesn't have an academic record at the certifying institution.

Most folks are aware that an academic honor award is exempt from the equivalency calculation (upper 10%, 1200 SAT or 3.5GPA), but that is based specifically on the player's high school academic record. (15.5.3.2.2.1)

There is a similar award for players based on their college academic record (3.3 GPA), but the player must have completed at least one academic year at the certifying institution. (15.5.3.2.2.2)

So it appears that academic money awarded to a transfer player typically is not exempt or excepted from the equivalency calculation. I'd say that neither the school nor the athletic department has much incentive to award it.

My comments above re less money for transfer students is actually based on the general population rather than just student athletes.


Given the rules on counting $$, I suspect that student athletes do even worse on merit aid than the general population.

I am guessing the reason there is no academic money is because it has all been given out for the next year. Students were probably applying for this back in the first part of the year and it has been doled out, even the departmental money and the private scholarships associated with the school.
It is late for this year,but next year start trying to find academic scholarships early on. There are search engines for this too - Fastweb I know is good. Look to the industry the major serves. For instance I know that in the ag industry, there are several organizations that give scholarships - Farm Bureaus, Women in Ag, Equipment and Seed companies, Cooperatives.
Of course this will be a moot subject when he gets athletic money.