Ivy League Financial Question

This answer is not the one you were hoping to hear, but I can tell you that there is no athletic or merit aid for any athlete in the Ivy League, no matter what sport they play.  Everything is need-based.  That's a tough sell if your player can attend at a discount somewhere else; they are also sticklers about finishing in residence and taking only a certain number of semesters to graduate.  On the flip side -- Ivy baseball teams only take 7 or 8 players per year, and 20 out of the 28 travel with the team. Your player WILL get on the field. There are no fall cuts either, only depth chart rankings for travel.  They need everybody to compete. Ultimately, your decision depends on your player's goals and your family's preference.

Thank you. Appreciate the info. The reason that I asked is that someone that we know very well that would definitely not qualify for need based aid just got offered a full tuition offer for football. It shocked me based on everything that I have heard. Any thoughts?

Is it from the school or from boosters via an NIL?

Also, most highly recruited Ivy athletes go through the "likely letter" process in the fall.   But, to your point, I've never heard of an athletic scholarship from an Ivy. Maybe someone else on the board has. There was a lawsuit about it:

https://www.espn.com/college-s...o-scholarship-policy

Great question. I am not sure. The offer came directly from the head coach, and nothing was mentioned about it being thru NIL, but I really don’t know. I forget the exact phrase he used, but he didn’t say anything like “full ride scholarship” offer or anything like that. But it was crystal clear that if he accepted, everything would be taken care of.

I would highly recommend that the student get confirmation from the Financial Aid office prior to May 1.   

I think that technically a coach is not supposed to be able to offer NIL money.  But obviously they all do - because who else would decide who is most deserving of the collective's, oops I mean the commercial value of the "name, image and likeness"'s, money?

I didn't think the Ivy League had much in the way of NIL, although they may be looking into it. I'd tell the player to be skeptical. See here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com...vard-ivy-league-nil/

Good responses. Really appreciate them.
I guess I’m having a difficult time believing that all of the Ivy League baseball players are paying full retail price of almost $90k a year to attend. And I really think that the overwhelming majority of baseball families are not qualifying for need based aid according to every calculator I see, or people that I have spoken with. Are most of those players footing the full retail price?

My experience with my non-athlete Ivy son (and for my HA D3 son at a similar type of school) was that the financial estimate of how much we could affort to pay was pretty accurate.  We did not pay the full cost, and we could handle what they said we should pay.

Unofficially, I think it somewhat depends on how good the player is. The coaches can work directly with the finaid office to get some type of discount. I directly heard a HC tell a player and parent to bring their finaid offer from other Ivies and they would beat it. I've also seen top recruits from other sports offered Ivy discounts. This was all around the time of the Varsity Blues scandal and before the recent SCOTUS decisions, so things may have changed as a result

Some of the Ivies only charge a percentage of the family income. For example, if a family income is 200K the price is 20K. I can’t remember which ones.

Make sure they are using the Net Price Calculator for that specific school. My player at a HA D3 is getting "need based" aid, whereas my state school bound senior just got her package- $0 need based aid (which is fine, tuition is cheap) so we will be paying about the same for each child... Size does matter- when it comes to endowments

Thank you for the responses. Very helpful. Would love if anyone else had any insight on this.

My son's HS team mate was offered a $45K tuition for the Ivy near me. I am pretty it was not due to financial need. I don't think he was lying and the kid decommitted from them to play for a P5

@Carnahan11 posted:

Great question. I am not sure. The offer came directly from the head coach, and nothing was mentioned about it being thru NIL, but I really don’t know. I forget the exact phrase he used, but he didn’t say anything like “full ride scholarship” offer or anything like that. But it was crystal clear that if he accepted, everything would be taken care of.

For football - and football only - some Ivies set their players up with summer internships that just happen to pay the exact amount it costs to attend the school. Yep: an $80k summer internship.

It's not NIL money, nor need-based nor academic-based, but it's money.

And the player gets a glittery post-graduation resume.

Out of curiosity, do they get to do it if they don't perform well on the field?  In other words, is there a contract?  An understanding?  Guaranteed for all 4 years?  Seems like it could end very badly.

@anotherparent posted:

Out of curiosity, do they get to do it if they don't perform well on the field?  In other words, is there a contract?  An understanding?  Guaranteed for all 4 years?  Seems like it could end very badly.

I don't know. The two guys I know currently on this program are freshman that did not really play last fall. Their internships are a go.

Ok. Interesting.  I was wondering if it was because it was football. They seem to have more pull than the other sports.
I’m hoping there are some parents on here that have sent their son to the Ivy League for baseball. I still feel like the overwhelming majority of travel baseball parents are not qualifying for financial aid at the Ivies. And the Ivies are taking a ton of kids from the travel programs that I’m talking about. Are these folks really paying almost $90k a year to send their son to an Ivy League program?
I really thought that one of the responses earlier about the Ivies calculating a certain amount of the family’s annual salary for tuition made a lot of sense. Really just trying to get some accurate information.

Is Fenway South still around this forum? I’ve read a lot of his posts and he seemed to be really dialed in.

First, yes, there are Ivy baseball parents on here, and you have heard from one of them already.  There are others who will probably chime in, Fenway usually does.  I sent a child to an Ivy recently, although not for baseball.

Second, each college has its own formula for calculating a family's Estimated Financial Contribution.  Most of them use a formula that includes a percentage of income, plus other assets, in a variety of different formulas.  They don't share their algorithms, but each one is different - I saw it when I had two in different private colleges in the same year.

Third, I don't think you should be trying to guess how people are spending their money.  Travel baseball is a choice people make and they aren't all rich.  Sure, some people are paying the full cost of attendance, and others are not.  It's not something people talk about.

@Carnahan11 posted:

Is Fenway South still around this forum? I’ve read a lot of his posts and he seemed to be really dialed in.

@fenwaysouth

If you don't hear from fenwaysouth, please private message him through this site.  He is a wealth of good ivy info.  (click on your profile at the top right and the private message link will show)

My son's HS teammate went to an ivy (not to play ball, but the price was the same).  I am not aware of all the specifics, but if you own your own business, meeting with a GOOD CPA a year or two before applying may help qualify for some aid.

@Carnahan11 posted:

Are these folks really paying almost $90k a year to send their son to an Ivy League program?

Yes.

And their daughters too.

And they do this not only for the Ivy League but also for certain schools in the Patriot League and Big East, as well as schools in D3 leagues like the NESCAC, Centennial Conference and the UAA.

Lol! Anotherparent, relax. I’m not guessing about how anybody spends their money regarding travel baseball. It’s expensive across the board.
Kind of wild that you see me asking specifically about parents who have sent their son to an Ivy League for baseball, and you keep chiming in when you haven’t. This is a forum about high school baseball players. I’ve seen alot of great knowledge regarding the Ivy League on this website. Some invaluable intel.
I was trying to be respectful and polite when you answered earlier. Please don’t take offense when I’m just trying to get info from parents that have actually dealt with the situation that I’m inquiring about.
Hope you and your kids have had a great experience with your family’s situation.
Also, this is an anonymous board, ANOTHERPARENT. I thought with that being the case, some may actually be willing to discuss candidly how the Ivies work when it comes to the baseball programs.

Omg! Speed Demon. Besides the one female from Brown, are there a lot of daughters attending the Ivy Leagues for baseball. This wasn’t an attempt at mysogyny. Geezus.
Let me guess though. You didn’t send a son to the Ivies for baseball either, but just wanted to throw in your two cents. Thanks.

The answer to your question is that the aid (or tuition discounts) are awarded individually based on the information your family submits to the financial aid office;  I can tell you that there are no baseball scholarships at my son's Ivy League school.   

The bigger question: Do your sons want to attend an Ivy? I'd suggest going to an Ivy League game and taking in the scene.  Ivy League baseball is much different from other college baseball.  There are no Friday night games and there is always a Sat. double-header  (catchers be aware).  Batters hit for average, not for power.  There's often not a lot of pitching depth, so if your player is decent, he will play (often too much).   The fields are inconsistent.  There are no excused absences from class.  Lab science majors can be a challenge to schedule, etc.

On the other hand, the people involved are amazing.  The players will be friends forever, regardless of skill.  If baseball doesn't work out, you have diverse options (one of my son's friends is going to be a neurologist, another works in real estate investing, and three are in grad school).  I'd say that this academic experience is very different than, say, going to TCU or Louisville to play (we have friends there too).

Thank you very much! That is great insight.

Also following for the good info. The price tags are scary for a Gov worker that makes just enough to not qualify for aid almost anywhere. Do they also take into account the money being spent on college for an older sibling? Daughter will be starting grad school Jan 2025 after she graduates in Dec.

I know the answer to this one. They do take that into account if you have another child in college/grad school. Unfortunately, I have zero that will overlap. Didn’t plan that out properly. 🤣

They are supposed to make the tuition affordable if your child is accepted. If your recruiting process starts early enough (say Junior year spring or midsummer before senior year) you will get a chance for an academic pre-read (i.e. the recruiting coach will pass your transcripts on to admissions for an idea of possibility) and a financial pre-read (depending on the amount of personal information you are willing to submit at that point).  It is frustrating because nothing is certain, unlike the athletic and merit money process at almost any other college.

On the other hand, if you submit everything by mid-September and work with the recruiting coach and your guidance counselor, you should have an idea by Nov. 1. Depending on your strengths and assuming the head coach really made you an offer, you will either have an up signal (a  "likely" letter if you applied completely by Oct 1 or a "you are no. X on my list of 7 to the admissions committee" if you applied by the early action deadline)  or a down signal ("I don't think you will get in" or "you're not on my list but if you can get in on your own, you can try to walk on").  I don't think many recruited athletes apply regular decision.

Great info. Thanks. I did not know that they give a financial pre read as well. That would be helpful.

@Carnahan11 posted:

Omg! Speed Demon. Besides the one female from Brown, are there a lot of daughters attending the Ivy Leagues for baseball. This wasn’t an attempt at mysogyny. Geezus.
Let me guess though. You didn’t send a son to the Ivies for baseball either, but just wanted to throw in your two cents. Thanks.

uhhhhh....

My point was that it's just not baseball, and it's just not sons. It's all sports, and daughters, and everything in between because the Ivies offer only need-based scholarships, nothing else.

Why so sensitive? What harm is there in mentioning that daughters don't receive scholarships?  Olivia Pichardo never entered my mind.

And no, I didn't send my son to an Ivy for baseball. I am very familiar with their processes though - he had offers at all 8 schools and rejected them.

Great info, not the answers I was hoping for though

my 2026 was blessed to be offered by a few power 4/5 schools today, and they all said he will basically go for free between athletic/academic/nil money.  No mention of the full scholarships that everyone is talking about. That still seems to be far off for now.

he was also called by a few ivies, and in preliminary talks about money, I was just given a quick financial form to fill out.  Unfortunately I would still have to pay more than half for just about all of the schools.

i was hoping that they would also give academic money to athletes that they may want.  My son has good enough grades to get academic money at most schools, but I doubt from an Ivy.

@DonnieBaseball23 posted:

........................................

my 2026 was blessed to be offered by a few power 4/5 schools today, and they all said he will basically go for free between athletic/academic/nil money.  No mention of the full scholarships that everyone is talking about. That still seems to be far off for now.

he was also called by a few ivies, and in preliminary talks about money, I was just given a quick financial form to fill out.  Unfortunately I would still have to pay more than half for just about all of the schools.

i was hoping that they would also give academic money to athletes that they may want.  My son has good enough grades to get academic money at most schools, but I doubt from an Ivy.

They do give some academic money (ie...Presidential Scholarships, grants) but that is for academic reasons not athletic.  Giving academic money with a wink to athletics is a big no-no.

Congrats!  Your son has some fantastic options.  His situation is exactly why it is a good idea to go into this with an eye toward what he wants to do when he graduates so you can pick the best school to get to his goal.   

Back when my son was being recruited, we found that paying a little more than half at an Ivy was still about a 50% scholly to most private D1 mid-major schools.  The cost of college has become outrageous.  If your son wants to go into a field with a significant demand & quick payback then possibly the money isn't as important and an Ivy can be a consideration. My oldest son is an engineer, and had his Ivy undergrad student loan paid off in less than 2 years.  He paid for half of his undergrad education and worked internships in the summer....no summer college baseball for him.  He is two classes away from a Masters in Engineering that his company is paying for.  Economic circumstances have a seat at the table when you start making these decisions.   If your son has the talent and desire to play professional baseball then maybe the P4/P5 is the best path forward.  Everybody's situation is just a little different, and your son was very fortunate to be able to chose.

Good luck!

Congratulations to your son!  I agree with @fenwaysouth; now your son can consider what majors are offered, what summer options he might have, and whether one type of campus interests him more.  For example -- he might not choose an Ivy if he is interested in a degree in some applied math or science programs (e.g. pharmacy, sports administration, accounting, logistics, etc.)  If your son wants to go into medicine or general engineering, on the other hand, Ivy League programs might offer more research options or grad placement opportunities.   Let us know what he decides and good luck.

If the power 5 schools are GT or Duke then the decision is straight forward. If not, then weigh the options, however STEM is incompatible with D1 baseball, other than then Ivy's and a few others.   Frankly he may play professional baseball, but the reality is he will not make any money at it. An Ivy education pays for itself quickly as long as he is taking a "employable" major and not gender studies, history, or some other BS major. All the Ivy's are so different in economic support you have to consider each one independently, there are no generalities in economic support from them. Awesome he has these choices. Best of Luck!

From my experience:

The vast majority of players pay full price (as do most students in general). Just take a look at the rosters and you will see that many came from very pricey prep schools all over the country.

Need-based financial aid is given to all who qualify and apply. Unfortunately our need was greater that what the federal government thought it should be.

My son's school essentially provided scholarship for all $$$ in excess of our expected family contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA. It was great for two years as I had two students attending college at the same time; in that case the EFC is split between the two students evenly. So for two years my Ivy student cost about what we would pay for an in-state school and the last two years we paid twice that amount. My other non-Ivy student cost considerably less than the halved FAFSA EFC. Still, paying for two students at the same time is not fun.

A lot of Ivy students make pretty good money during summer internships. Baseball players not so much unless they forgo summer collegiate ball.

Ha-ha, try getting your student to fork over that internship salary to offset what you paid out in previous years!