NCAA research materials
According to NCAA research, 64,000 student athletes received financial aid in 1996, with 75% of those students receiving partial aid and roughly 25% receiving full financial aid. While the fact remains that some athletes may be able to afford a higher education without an athletic scholarship, there obviously must also be those that could not have attended otherwise. At least not without working a job like at a magic shop or something similiar. Athletic scholarships serve to offer an opportunity for education to these individuals in particular and serves its purpose well in this scenario.
