Every year, more than 300 student-athletes count on scholarship support as the means by which they learn at, and compete for USF. Growing our scholarship support is an investment in human capital and an important tool for positioning the Bulls to recruit the best student-athletes in the country.
At USF, a full student-athlete scholarship for a Florida resident costs approximately $16,000 a year. For out-of-state residents, including international students, that amount jumps to roughly $26,000. Private giving for scholarship support guarantees that educational opportunity remains within reach of student-athletes and is critical for the sustained growth of USF Athletics.
Annual Scholarships
Annual scholarships include (a) those for which gifts are given and expended each year, or (b) distributed earnings from endowed scholarships that are to be spent on scholarship awards. Gifts to annual scholarships increase the amount available for awarding to student-athletes in the next athletics year.
Annual Scholarships provide a "here and now" benefit. Funded through one of the two following mechanisms, they are awarded each year using all available cash:
- Scholarships for which annual gifts are given with the expectation that they are to be not endowed, but awarded in their entirety; or
- Distributed earnings from endowed scholarships that are to be spent on scholarship awards. Gifts to annual scholarships increase the amount available for awarding to student-athletes in the next athletics year.
Donors may allow scholarships to be awarded by the Athletics Department according to the area of greatest need, or designate them for any of USF's varsity sports
Endowed Scholarships
Funding an endowed scholarship is one of the best ways to ensure the success of our program. Endowed scholarships live in perpetuity, providing a living legacy of education. Donors can designate endowed scholarships for a particular sport or allow the Athletic Department to make the award in the area of greatest need. These scholarships are invested and annual earnings are used to fund awards.
Endowment Minimums
Endowed scholarships require a gift or pledge of at least $25,000, payable generally over as many as five years, and may be named for the donor(s) or otherwise in accordance with the wishes of the donor(s).
Investment Policy
Gifts for endowed scholarships are invested by the USF Foundation and a percentage of annual earnings, as is determined by USF Foundation policy, will be made available for scholarship awards in any given year. The balance of earnings, less a small administrative fee that underwrites the cost of investment and management services, is reinvested with the scholarship principal to ensure that the endowment keeps pace with inflation. Currently, we use the figure of 4.0% to conservatively project the annual spending rate.
Scholarship Levels:
- Full out of State Scholarship: $500,000
- Full In State Scholarship: $400,000
- Tuition Scholarship: $250,000
- Partial Scholarship: $150,000
- Supporting Scholarship: $25,000
(1) Sailing is a non-scholarship sport.
