Scholorship Negotiations

Bleachermom,

It ain't like buying a car. Many more factors affect the scholarship offer than buying a car.

With 11.7 scholarships permitted by the NCAA at D! schools and most teams carrying about thirty players, anything over about 1/3 is above
average.

Higher percentages go to pitchers, catchers, then drops off for the other position players.

You also have to consider where you son really wants to go to the school and/or play baseball.

If you really like a school and the offer is less than you can handle, let them know, you like their program but could use more help.

I think gathering all the offers, then trying to accept the lowest cost to you can make the decision much more difficult.

D1 full rides are rare. JUCO full rides are more abundant. If cost is a major factor for you and your son can not command enough from a D1 school, you might want to consider the JUCO route for the first couple of years.

So, in other words, yes, the coaches do hold it against a player?

If that's the case, and because the other schools did include academic money in their offers, is it appropriate to ask the coach for assistance in acquiring academic money? (Don't most baseball programs hold a little "padding" out for just this kind of scenario?)

Bleachermom,
I don't recall Former telling you that the coach would hold it against your son if you asked for more assistance. He is just saying that there is really little room for negotiation.
He is correct in telling you that your son first has to decide where he wants to go to school, baseball is second. After the pros and cons have been discussed and he still wants to go to the school with the smaller offer, you could approach the coach by asking him if their is any other assistance available. Sometimes academic scholarship $$$ can be higher than the baseball offer.
If he has been offered this opportunity this spring, keep in mind alot of the money was spent in the fall.
Good luck

BleacherMom,
I'm sure others will jump in soon and help with their insight, but seems to me I've read somewhere that Academic money can count against a coach's scholarship dollars. In other words, if you son gets $10,000 in academic money then that is taken away from the "pool" of scholarship dollars.
I really have no idea if I completely misunderstood how it was explained, but someone will straighten me out if I'm wrong. They always do!

Bleacher mom...It is ok to "negotiate"...but do it quickly. Tell the coach what you really want (top end) and see if they are thinking anywhere near what you and your son expect.

Academic money doesn't count against the 11.7, usually, if a kid meet 4 criteria, i.e., class standing, grade point average, act/sat test scores, etc., that a student in the general school population would meet and be eligible for the same scholarship assistance.

With that HOPE thing in Georgia and Louisiana, those scores seeming have a tremendous recruiting advantage, although I admit, I don't know how that kind of scholarship assistance affects the 11.7. It did, as I recall, permit substantive expansion of rosters for those state schools.

Academic money does not count against the 11.7, but in a roundabout way can count against you.

If your FAFSA form indicates your family is supposed to pay, say, $1,000, everything else is financial need. Many schools look at this figure before they do anything.

What your kid can get is academic money and/or athletic money. If the school holds fast to that 1,000 figure and the academic side meets all need, the baseball program is off the hook.

Now, nobody is obligated to that 1,000 figure, not if they really want you. And most financial packages include some kind of loan. So the higher the athletic award, in reality, the lower the loan.

But given the economics or recruiting, many coaches will know that you've got academic money, and how much, and believe they don't need to throw you much athletic money to seal the deal.

So you must be vigiliant and ask good questions during the process.

Look the coach dead in the eye and tell him the truth. If you need more money or if another school has put a package together with more money, just tell him. Don't be supprised if the coach looks at you with a funny expression because they hear so much BS from families and players that it's somethimes a shock to their system when people tell the truth.

cbg has hit the nail on the head--- if a coach knows from the very git-go what the $$$ situation he can handle it accordingly

When I talk to college coaches about our players I always make sure they are aware of the families situation--- the grades; finacial aspects; do they have other kids in the family either in college already or coming close behind and any other unusual circumstances such as military parents, one parent family etc--if the coach wants the player badly enough he will go to bat for him in the admissions and financial departments

Thanks, everybody! I kind of had a feeling you guys would know. My husband said the same thing FormerObserver said, "It ain't like buying a car!" I argued that if one school has academic scholorship money set aside for recruits that need/want more assistance, then they all must do that in some form or another. The fact is, we don't really NEED the assistance, but he is giving up a school that IS offering the equivalent of 90% with both scholorships combined and told us when we went in it was the highest "dollar" award they'd ever offered (I'm sure inflation was the culprit and that the % was the same) and said, "that's how bad we want you!" and that he would see some mound time as a freshman. It seems that by finding and providing academic money it would show their good faith and desire for him as a team member. Ultimately, he wants mound time and feels the offer might just reflect just how bad they want him and will include him.

Am I being unrealistic in this thought process or should he just be thankful that a school of this caliber would even make him an offer?

90% is a tremendous offer. You should be thankful that he is receiving any offer. Not many receive offers. ANY offer is an indication that they want your son. They don't have MANY to offer. But make sure he likes the school, you like the school. A 90% scholarship to a school that does not work out is not a very good deal. 90% does not mean he is a starter. 90% means he has a CHANCE to compete. The mound time depends on how well he competes.

tell it like it is - it seems ya want perfect teeth on the horse they're giving you -
you are a tough sell if 90% is not already "showing faith" to someone who has yet to play college baseball!
and btw, most of the programs who "just find" extra money are on probation or soon will be. the player either has the qualifing gpa and/or test scores or he doesn't - there's nothing the coach can do to make them higher?
good luck
and I'd take the horse if it suits ya before you end up left with one of them "fainting goats"

I agree with FO. My son took a smaller offer to play for the school that he really liked. It goes back to what many have told me on this website, choose a school that you would want to attend if you were not going to play baseball.

Also, it is definitely okay to ask for more money. I did and my son got more scholarship dollars. Also remember that there may be additional money available after the draft in June if the school has signed players that may get drafted.

I was surprised how little the offers changed after it was first made. For the most part, if 50% was offered, it never moved.

iowakiddad-will your son be at the PG Midwest Prospect Showcase this weekend, or the Predraft on the 18th?