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Growing opportunity at Universities
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Before the year 2002, universities were only allowed to over a maximum of $1,500 a year to athletes. But the CIS has rethought their policies in a bid to keep more talent in Canada. Now a student can have their full tuition and mandatory fees covered by an athletic scholarship. Awards can even be used to bring an athlete on to a team's roster, so long as they meet some academic criteria.
Students who are in their first year playing for a university team may only receive scholarships if they have an 80 per cent average in their classes. The rule is designed to prevent a student's grades from sliding as a result of focusing solely on their sport. But the student may start receiving award money after their first semester if their average is above 65 per cent. That same regulation sticks for the years following.
With 1,800 Canadian athletes playing in U.S. schools, the CIS is quickly upping the ante to keep talent at home. They are also recognizing that athletic commitments sometimes prevent a student from having a part-time job. That renewed interest added up to over $6 million in athletic scholarships being awarded in Canada in 2005-06, according to the CIS.
Men are most likely to be awarded if they play hockey, basketball, or football. Women will find rewards in volleyball, basketball and wrestling more often. Up to 70 per cent of a team's roster can receive full scholarships.
Unlike the CIS, the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association says they do not have any regulations over funding. The association that oversees college sport in Canada allows individual institutions to decide how they award their sporting talent.
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