The "Realities" of Recruiting/Scholarships/True Cost of College Attendance, are: very few families, escape scot free. I am sharing the following to dispel some of the "Myths" and help families/kids develop realistic expectations regarding Softball Athletic Scholarships, as they prepare to successfully navigate the journey to the next level..
Some of this information comes from Cathi Aradi,and I have attempted to cite her where appropriate, but most has been gleaned from personal experience with my daughter and her journey to playing DI college softball.
The conversation's regarding recruiting and scholarships on softball forums, and/or in the stands or sidelines at any softball field are filled with falsehoods and myths. When you hear about, or someone tells you that their kid received a 4 year FULL RIDE, you most likely are not hearing the entire story. "Full Ride" Softball Athletic Scholarships are EXTREMELY RARE, and 4 year Athletic Scholarship's DO NOT exist. Athletic scholarships are for a period of 1 academic year only, renewable each year by July 1st.
More times than not,(99% of the time) the real story is: "she got $8000 in need-based money, $10,000 in academic money (because she's a 4.0/1380 SAT II student), she got some work-study, some loan money, and $7500 in softball money (and she's an impact player for them!). Inexperienced parents hear that this kid got a FULL RIDE and think, "Well, my kid is better than his kid, so my kid will get a full ride offer from them too." Then they have a hissy fit when the coach says, "We can offer you $7500 in softball money and whatever else you might qualify for." The parent knows he won't get more than a few thousand in need-base money, and his kid is a 3.0 student with 990 SAT's, so she's not getting a lot of academic money. Now he's fried because he thinks the coach is trying to put one over on him, when in reality, the coach offered his kid the same amount of athletic money as the other girl received. It's just that she doesn't qualify for the other types of money, thus less money is available to her". (paraphrased from the FAQ section of Cathi Aradi' website
http://www.fastpitchrecruiting.com)
There are over 950 colleges (not including J.C.'s) with softball teams. Approximately 220 are Division I; approximately 230 are Division II; and the balance is divided between Division III and NAIA schools. Fewer than 50% of colleges with teams offer softball scholarships but most schools have financial aid of one kind or another. Division I schools are allowed a maximum of 12 total athletic scholarships for the entire team. Division II schools are allowed around 7 total athletic scholarships for the entire team and Division III and Ivy League schools have zero athletic scholarships in any sport. NAIA schools are allowed approx.10 total athletic scholarships for the entire team. It is important to know that even though, D III and Ivy League schools (many of which are smaller private schools) do not offer Athletic Scholarships. Many times these schools have large endowments, & the overall financial aid package these schools are able to offer is far better than what the schools that have athletic scholarships (many of which are larger publicly funded schools) are able to offer.
Also keep in mind that as part of that last statement. Of those schools that do offer athletic scholarships, most ARE NOT fully funded, so in reality many DI schools may only have 5-6 total scholarships, and DII schools 2 -3, etc. for the entire team of 18 -22 players. Many schools may have an impact player or 2-3 (pitcher, catcher, shortstop, stud hitter, etc.) receiving 60-80% athletic $$ with most of the other players receiving anywhere from 0 - 40%.
Being part of a fully funded program does not make your DD immune from this same set of conditions. These schools may have more players receiving some Athletic $$, but like their underfunded counterparts, they too, usually have several on their roster receiving a combination of Grants, Loans, Academic, Need Based, Church/Private Scholarships, and/or Family Money, and little or no Athletic $$.
Exploring the J.C. route is also a great option for many kids, and although I don't know the details of J.C. Athletic Scholarships, certainly the overall cost of attendance is much less than any University. J.C.'s offer an outstanding opportunity to stay close to home, mature, improve grades, softball skills etc., and still play ball at a very high level, before making the transition to a 4 year school. Also if your DD has her heart set on going away to school, there are many J.C.'s across the country that offer Student Housing. Some of the other advantages of attending a J.C. are: Many Universities have special scholarships set aside just for J.C. transfer's. In addition, J.C. transferee's are highly sought after by 4 year college coaches because they offer more "Bang for the Athletic Scholarship Buck" as they are generally more mature, have better skill sets, and are better prepared to be an immeditate impact player, provide a leadership role, and graduate, than the average freshman.
These are some of the realities of Softball Athletic Scholarships. What's important to keep in mind is; fortunately there are many other sources of funding, and there is a lot more academic money available than softball money. There's also need-base and ethnicity-based money as well as work study, grants, and loans, etc.. In addition, there are many sources of private funding available that are up to you to identify and pursue.
So keep an open mind, seek out & investigate ALL the options when your athlete is looking into colleges and funding. More importantly seek the right fit, and if at all possible follow the path that will give your DD the highest quality education and overall college experience.
P.S. "Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do" - John Wooden