Athletic Scholarships
What is an Athletic Financial Award (AFA)?
· Also referred to as an Athletic Scholarship, an AFA is any award that is conditional to being on a U SPORTS team.
· An AFA can include, but is not limited to, scholarships, bursaries, prizes, leadership awards, merit awards, and all other non-employment financial benefit received by an athlete from their institution.
Is there a limit to the value of AFA that I can receive?
· tuition and compulsory fees is the maximum amount you can receive in an academic year, including athletic-related bursaries.
· the value and quantity of AFAs available varies from institution to institution.
· specific awards may have additional conditions, such as academic success and citizenship, beyond what is stated here.
· many awards, such as academic awards or awards provided by Sport Governing Bodies or the Federal and Provincial Governments, are not included within the tuition and compulsory fees maximum; please consult your Athletic Department.
Who provides AFAs?
· all athletics scholarships provided to student-athletes must be administered through the providing university.
· to receive an athletic-related award that is not administered by your university, the award must not be conditional on attendance at any particular university, that is, you must be free to attend the university of your choice.
When can I receive an AFA?
· you are eligible to receive an AFA at the beginning of your first year at a university (September 1) if you are accepted into a program at that institution.
· alternatively, where applicable (and excluding Ontario as per Ontario University Athletics policy), you are eligible to receive an AFA at the end of your first year at a university (August 31) if you satisfy U SPORTS academic requirements with at least a 65% average or equivalent.
· thereafter, you are eligible to receive an AFA at the beginning of any year if you satisfy U SPORTS academic requirements with at least a 65% average or equivalent in the preceding year (for Ontario universities, as per Ontario University Athletics policy, a 70% average is required).