How to Negotiate and Get the Most Out of Your Scholarship Offer
You've put in a lot of effort throughout your school years, both on and off the field. After years of toil, you've been offered a scholarship to play football at the university of your choice. However, before you can formally accept that offer, there are a few things you should think about.
You can negotiate the terms of your scholarship offer.
The first is the team's financial budget. Each institution has a set amount of money for scholarships that it can spend, and this varies from school to school. They may not be able to meet all of your funding needs, but they should at least be able to indicate what they can give you.
In addition to thinking about your future, you must also be aware of your current financial situation. How much are you and/or your family able to contribute? Have you received other scholarships or aid? All of this will help solidify the weight of different college offers.
It's also important to think about your future post-college. What do you want your career to look like? Will the school you're attending help get you there? Although no one answer fits everyone, it's a negotiating factor worth considering.
It's time to start negotiating once you have a clear picture of what you want and what the team has to offer. The first thing you should do is contact the coach or whoever is in command of scholarships for the team. If at all feasible, schedule an in-person meeting so that you may interact face-to-face. This will allow them to see how serious you are about the team, as well as give them a chance to get acquainted with you as a person.
During the meeting, be honest about what you need. If the team can't fulfill all of your financial needs, ask if they would be willing to raise their bid. If they're not, let them know what other offers you've received and whether they'd be willing to match or exceed them. Keep in mind that other teams want to add you to their squad.
Conclusion
It may be difficult to negotiate your scholarship offer, but keep in mind that YOU are in control. Do your homework ahead of time so you know what kind of offer is fair and don't be scared to defend yourself during negotiations. You can get the greatest bargain for yourself and your future if you put in a little effort.