How many track and field scholarships does an NCAA D1 team have?

It depends on whether the school opted in to the House settlement. Schools that opted in have no scholarship limit but cap rosters at 45 for track and field and 17 for cross country, per gender. Schools that did not opt in keep the old limits of 12.6 for men and 18 for women, shared with cross country.

How many track scholarships does an NCAA D2 team have?

Up to 12.6 full-scholarship equivalents for men and 12.6 for women. Each limit is shared between cross country and indoor and outdoor track, so most awards are partial.

Do NCAA D3 schools give athletic scholarships?

No. NCAA D3 schools give no athletic aid, but many give academic and need-based aid, and most athletes at some D3 schools receive academic aid.

How many scholarships does an NAIA track team have?

Up to 12 for track and field and a separate 5 for cross country, per gender. Most academic aid counts toward that limit unless the athlete earns an academic exemption.

Do junior colleges give track scholarships?

Yes, in NJCAA D1 and D2. Each can offer up to 20 track and field awards and 10 cross country and half marathon awards. NJCAA D2 awards cover tuition, fees, and books only, and NJCAA D3 programs give no athletic aid.

Is a full ride realistic in track and field?

Full rides exist, but most track and field scholarships are partial. Full awards usually go to athletes who would score at the conference championship, and even then they depend on the budget and the roster.

Are women’s track scholarships easier to get?

Every major association has at least as many women’s teams as men’s, with clearly more in NCAA D1. At D1 schools that did not opt in to the House settlement, women’s teams also keep more scholarships than men’s teams.

Can I combine academic and athletic scholarships?

Often, yes. In NCAA D2 and the NJCAA, most academic and need-based aid stacks on top of an athletic award. In the NAIA, academic aid counts toward the team limit unless you earn an academic exemption. Ask every school how it treats your aid.

Can a track scholarship be cut after an injury?

An NCAA D1 school cannot reduce or refuse to renew your aid for athletic reasons, including an injury. In other divisions, awards are often for one year at a time, so ask how the program handles injuries and get the terms in writing.

When can a college coach offer a track scholarship?

NCAA D1 coaches can offer aid in writing from August 1 of senior year, and NCAA D1 and D2 athletes can sign from the second Wednesday of November. NJCAA signing opens on November 1, and NAIA schools have no national signing date.

Is it too late for a scholarship in Grade 12?

A better senior season rarely changes an offer, because coaches spend their budgets early. You can still make a roster, and athletic aid is possible from your second year as your performances improve.

Do Canadian universities give athletic scholarships?

Yes. U SPORTS schools give Athletic Financial Awards of up to tuition and compulsory fees, and each school sets its own amounts. Academic and government awards can add to them.

Track and Field Scholarships by Division (2026-27)

Track and field scholarships at a glance

Athletic scholarships in track and field come from NCAA Division I and II, the NAIA, and the NJCAA, and from U SPORTS schools in Canada. Most awards are partial, and the rules changed in 2025.

NCAA D1 schools that opted in to the House settlement have no scholarship limit, but rosters are capped at 45 per gender.
NCAA D2 teams share 12.6 scholarships per gender across track and cross country.
NCAA D3 schools give no athletic aid, only academic and need-based aid.
NAIA teams have 12 track scholarships and a separate 5 for cross country.

Want the performances coaches recruit? See track and field scholarship standards by event and division.

How to earn a track and field scholarship

Build a profile with verified performancesCoaches trust results checked with official meet results.Create a free profile →
Find the levels where you would scoreCompare your performances with recruiting standards by division and event.Track and field recruiting standards →
Register with the eligibility centersNCAA programs need you registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, and NAIA programs with PlayNAIA.
Contact coaches with your performancesLead with your best performances, your grades, and your graduation year.How to contact college coaches →
Compare the net cost of every offerAdd athletic, academic, and need-based aid, then compare what your family pays.Parents' guide to cost, budgets, and offers →
Sign on the right dateKnow the signing dates for each association before you commit.

The full process is in the college track and field recruiting guide. Parents can start with the questions families ask us most.

How many track scholarships each division has

Limits are per team, per gender. "12.6" means 12.6 full scholarships that a coach can split into partial awards.

Track and field scholarship and roster limits, 2026-27
Division	Men's track and field	Women's track and field	Cross country	Roster limit
NCAA D1, schools that opted in to the House settlement	No scholarship limit	No scholarship limit	No scholarship limit	45 for track and field, 17 for cross country
NCAA D1, schools that did not opt in	12.6, shared with cross country	18, shared with cross country	Shared with track	Set by the conference or school
NCAA D2	12.6, shared with cross country	12.6, shared with cross country	Shared with track	No limit
NCAA D3	No athletic aid	No athletic aid	No athletic aid	No limit
NAIA	12	12	5, separate from track	No limit
NJCAA D1 and D2	20	20	10, shared with the half marathon	No limit
NJCAA D3	No athletic aid	No athletic aid	No athletic aid	No limit
U SPORTS (Canada)	Set by each school	Set by each school	Set by each school	No national limit

In NCAA D1 schools that did not opt in, and in NCAA D2, cross country and indoor and outdoor track share one limit.
Most Division I schools opted in. A conference can set roster limits below 45 and 17.
No limit does not mean full scholarships for everyone. Each school decides how much aid to fund.

More on the change: the 2025 NCAA D1 roster and scholarship changes, and how NCAA D1, D2, and D3 differ.

Men's and women's track scholarships

Men's track scholarships

Men's teams have the same limits as women's in every association except NCAA D1 schools that did not opt in, where men's teams keep 12.6.

Men's track and field scholarships by division
Division	Limit per team
NCAA D1, opted in	No limit; roster of 45 (17 in cross country)
NCAA D1, not opted in	12.6, shared with cross country
NCAA D2	12.6, shared with cross country
NCAA D3	No athletic aid
NAIA	12 for track and field, 5 for cross country
NJCAA D1 and D2	20 for track and field, 10 for cross country
U SPORTS	Set by each school

Women's track scholarships

Women's teams at NCAA D1 schools that did not opt in keep 18. Every major association has at least as many women's teams as men's.

Women's track and field scholarships by division
Division	Limit per team
NCAA D1, opted in	No limit; roster of 45 (17 in cross country)
NCAA D1, not opted in	18, shared with cross country
NCAA D2	12.6, shared with cross country
NCAA D3	No athletic aid
NAIA	12 for track and field, 5 for cross country
NJCAA D1 and D2	20 for track and field, 10 for cross country
U SPORTS	Set by each school; at least 45% of award units go to each gender

Cross country scholarships

NCAA D1 schools that opted in cap cross country rosters at 17 per gender.
In NCAA D1 schools that did not opt in, and in NCAA D2, cross country shares the track limit.
NAIA cross country has its own 5 scholarships, separate from track.
NJCAA cross country shares 10 scholarships with the half marathon.

NCAA Division I scholarships after the House settlement

NCAA D1 track and field: schools that opted in and schools that did not
	Opted in	Did not opt in
Scholarship limit	None	12.6 for men and 18 for women, shared with cross country
Roster limit	45 for track and field, 17 for cross country, per gender	Set by the conference or school
Partial awards allowed	Yes, in any amount	Yes
Does every athlete get aid?	No. Nothing requires a school to fund 45 athletes.	No

What your performances can mean for a scholarship

For most coaches, whether you would score at their conference championship is the biggest factor in an athletic offer.

How coaches usually weigh a performance
Your performances	What it usually means
Would score at the conference championship	The strongest case for athletic money at every level. How much still depends on the team's budget, roster limit, and who else is returning.
Close to scoring and still improving	Partial athletic aid or a roster spot, often with academic aid filling the gap.
Meets the program's recruiting standard	A roster spot. Athletic money is less likely, so academic and need-based aid matter most.
Below the standard	Look at levels where your performances would score, and check again as you improve.

NCAA D1 schools that opted in can fund every athlete on a full scholarship, but rosters are capped and most track budgets have not grown since 2025.
NCAA D2 teams share 12.6 equivalencies, so a team full of conference scorers still splits the same budget.
NCAA D3 schools give no athletic aid. Academic and need-based aid make up the whole package.
NAIA counts most academic aid toward the team limit unless the athlete earns an academic exemption.
U SPORTS awards are capped at tuition and compulsory fees, and each school sets its own amounts.

See the performances by event in our college track and field recruiting standards, or enter yours in the track and field recruiting calculator. The conference-impact lens shows how to match your PRs to a conference.

How much a track scholarship is worth

There is no reliable average for track and field. An award's value depends on the school's cost, so compare what each award covers and what your family pays after it.

The most an athletic award can cover
Division	Can cover
NCAA D1	Full cost of attendance: tuition and fees, housing and food, books, and other attendance costs
NCAA D2	Tuition and fees, food and housing, and books, within the cost of attendance
NCAA D3	No athletic aid
NAIA	Tuition, mandatory fees, books and supplies, and room and board
NJCAA D1	Tuition and fees, room and board, books, some supplies, and one round trip a year
NJCAA D2	Tuition and fees, books, and some supplies; no room and board
U SPORTS	Tuition and compulsory fees only

Example: one NCAA D2 women's team splitting 12.6
Award	Athletes	Equivalencies
Full awards	4 athletes at 100%	4.0
Half awards	12 athletes at 50%	6.0
Quarter awards	10 athletes at 25%	2.5
Small award	1 athlete at 10%	0.1
Total	27 athletes on aid	12.6

An example only. Every coach splits the budget differently.

Combining athletic, academic, and need-based aid

Academic and need-based aid often make up most of a track athlete's package. Whether they stack on top of an athletic award depends on the association.

Does other aid count toward the team's scholarship limit?
Division	Academic and need-based aid
NCAA D1, opted in	There is no team limit, so academic and need-based aid can stack up to the cost of attendance.
NCAA D1, not opted in	Some academic aid counts toward the limit; ask the school how it treats yours.
NCAA D2	No. Only aid from the athletics department counts, so academic and need-based aid stack on top.
NCAA D3	There is no athletic aid. Academic and need-based aid follow the same rules as every student.
NAIA	Yes, unless the athlete earns an academic exemption (see the next table).
NJCAA	No, if the aid is open to every student and run by the financial aid office.
U SPORTS	Academic and government awards sit outside the cap on athletic awards.

NAIA academic exemption for entering freshmen
Measure	Half exempt	Fully exempt
SAT	1140	1280
ACT	23	27
High school GPA	3.50 to 3.74	3.75 to 4.0
Class rank	Top 11% to 25%	Top 10%

Ways to lower what your family pays

Ask each school which academic awards your grades and major will earn.
Use each school's net price calculator for need-based aid.
Look at tuition-exchange programs such as the Western Undergraduate Exchange.
Apply for private scholarships, such as those listed on Bold.org's track scholarships list.

When coaches can offer and when you sign

The National Letter of Intent ended in 2024. NCAA schools now use a written athletics aid agreement with the same signing dates.

Track and field scholarship calendar
When	What can happen
June 15 after sophomore year	NCAA D1 coaches can start calls and private messages.
June 15 before junior year	NCAA D2 coaches can start recruiting communication.
August 1 of senior year	NCAA D1 coaches can offer aid in writing.
November 1	First day to sign an NJCAA letter of intent.
Second Wednesday of November	First day to sign an NCAA D1 or D2 athletics aid agreement.
Any time	NAIA schools have no national signing date.

Read when to ask college coaches about scholarships.

Before you accept a scholarship offer

Five questions to ask

Which academic awards will my grades and major earn here?
Does academic aid stack with my athletic award, or count toward it?
Will my award stay the same if I am injured?
Can my award go up after the first year, and on what basis?
What exactly will be in the written offer?

How track offers usually work

Most track and field scholarships are partial. A coach splits one budget across every event group.
Big offers follow conference scoring. A coach can justify a full award with points.
Coaches spend their budget early, and an offer rarely goes up after a later PR.
A returning senior or fifth-year athlete can take the money a recruit was hoping for, so rosters shape offers as much as performances.
Compare offers by what your family pays after every award, not by the athletic number.

What coaches tell us

Some coaches split a fixed pool, so a bigger award for one recruit means smaller awards for others.
Some programs give the larger of an academic or athletic award rather than both, while others combine them.
Strong grades stretch a coach's budget, because academic aid frees athletic money for other recruits.
At NCAA D3 schools, almost every admitted athlete receives merit aid, and it rises with GPA.
Later recruits often find less athletic money left, and academic award deadlines often fall between December and March.
Awards can change after the first year. Some need a GPA to renew, and some start only in year two.
Coaches often ask walk-ons early whether their family can cover the full cost.
Most athletes on NAIA and junior college rosters receive some aid.

Track scholarships in Canada

U SPORTS athletic awards are capped at tuition and compulsory fees. Housing and living costs are not covered.
First-year athletes qualify once they are admitted and enrolled. The old 80% entering-average rule ended in 2024-25.
Each school sets its own amounts, and some conferences set lower caps. Ontario caps awards at $5,000 a year.
Academic and government awards sit outside the cap, so they can add to an athletic award.

Compare athletic scholarships in Canada and the United States.

Junior college track scholarships

NJCAA D1 programs can offer up to 20 track and field and 10 cross country and half marathon awards, including room and board.
NJCAA D2 awards cover tuition, fees, and books, but not room and board.
NJCAA D3 programs give no athletic aid.
The first day to sign an NJCAA letter of intent is November 1.

Read how athletes use JUCO as a route to an NCAA scholarship.