How to Get a Rowing Scholarship

A practical guide for youth rowers navigating college recruitment

So you've been rowing for a while now. Maybe you've seen former teammates get scholarships. Maybe you read about the new D1 opportunities starting 2026. Either way, you're getting faster, your coaches are talking about college, and you start to wonder: could I get a scholarship for this?

The short answer is yes—but it takes planning and understanding how the process works. Even then, college sports might not be fore everyone. It's a big commitment, but the plus side can be massive. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive recruiting guide or rulebook, but rather a straightforward overview customized to TRRA to get you started. 

At the bottom of this guide, we’ve included a Q and A with Jill Peters, former TRRA Youth coach and former Recruiter for Duquesne Women’s Rowing. You can also view Jill’s awesome guide, “Recruitment 101,” which includes Tips, templates for communicating with recruiters, and great questions to ask them.  

“We are looking for athletes with a passion for the sport, ability to work well in a team setting, the ability to check your ego at the door, and an internal motivation that drives you to train often, row hard, and race with tenacity, courage, and stubbornness.” - Trevor Michelson: Dartmouth Lightweight Men’s

Reality Check

First, let's be honest about what we're dealing with. Rowing scholarships definitely exist, but they're still competitive. Women have significantly more opportunities than men—all 88 NCAA Division I schools have women's rowing programs, while only 35 support men's teams. Because of Title IX requirements, women's rowing programs receive substantial funding to balance out football scholarships on the men's side.

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, Division I women's rowing programs can offer up to 68 scholarships, a massive increase from the previous limit of 20. That's good news for female rowers, but it doesn't mean scholarships are easy to come by–just easier... You’ll be competing against rowers from across the country (and the world) for those spots.

“I’m looking for great athletes and students, of course, but I’m also looking for the right cultural fit. Every team and university have a unique identity. No matter how talented the rower, if she’s not a good fit for the place, she’s never going to be satisfied or reach her full potential.” - Madeline Davis: Boston College Women’s

Fact: Many top rowing programs—including all the Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, Columbia)—don't offer athletic scholarships at all. Neither do Division III schools. Instead, these programs help with admissions and may assist with academic scholarships or need-based financial aid. Men's rowing scholarships are primarily available at some Division I programs and a handful of Division II schools such as Mercyhurst and Drexel.

“Between compliance and admissions, we are all continuously working together in the recruiting process. Everything around the recruiting process is a giant puzzle and piecing the puzzle together takes a lot of hands on deck.”- Emilie Gross: North Carolina Women

What Coaches Care About

“Recruiting is a process that should be driven by the prospect. The more they show interest in a program, the more a coach wants to reciprocate.”- Anonymous Head Coach

If you talk to most college rowing coaches, they'll tell you the first thing they look at is your 2k erg time. Your 2k time is the most reliable, comparable metric they have.

Why? Because coaches can't always assess the level of competition at your local regattas, and it's hard to evaluate individual technique when you're sitting in an eight with seven other rowers. But a 6:25 2k is a 6:25 2k, whether you row in Pittsburgh or Seattle.

That said, your 2k time isn't everything. Here's what else matters:

Academics: Many rowing programs are at schools with high academic standards. If your grades and test scores don't meet the school's admissions requirements, the coach can't do much for you. Strong academics open doors.

Height and Physical Attributes: Taller rowers generally have an advantage because of stroke length. Coaches notice physical potential, especially in recruits who are still developing.

Experience and Recommendations: If you've rowed for a well-known club or your coach has connections in the college rowing world, that helps. Race results at major regattas carry weight, but only if coaches recognize the competition level.

Character and Attitude: Coaches look for self-motivated athletes who understand the commitment. College rowing is demanding—think 20+ hours a week on top of a full academic load. A coach put it bluntly: "If they aren't emotionally equipped, they'll arrive to college and be in over their heads."

“I [wish] that more of them knew how important it was to be a good communicator. How you address a college coach, how well you follow up on previous conversations—all of things say a lot about that recruit.”- Bart Thompson: Adrian College Men

“Since we recruit so many international athletes, we look for recruits who are social and can get along with people from different cultures. On the water, we get so many different styles that walk through our door, we need them all to adapt to the stroke that we want the whole team to have.” - Nick Johnson: Barry Women’s

The Timeline

Sophomore Year (Spring) or Junior Year (Fall): Talk honestly with your TRRA coaches about whether college rowing is realistic for you. Look at your erg scores, race results, and physical development. Be honest about whether you're willing to make the commitment (it’s a big one).

If the answer is yes(!), start researching schools. Don't just look at the big names—cast a wide net. Use resources like:

• USRowing Collegiate Directory (www.usrowing.org)

• Row2k (www.row2k.com) for race results, rankings, and team information

• NCSA College Recruiting (www.ncsasports.org) for comprehensive recruiting guides

• cMax Rankings for comparing team speeds across divisions

Make a list of "reach" schools, "probable" schools, and "fallback" schools based on both athletics and academics. Be intelligent about it. 

Junior Year (Beginning):

“This is a mutual relationship. You should not have to chase us, and we should not have to chase you. This shows us how you will act if you do come to the school and it will show you how we will act to you. If it is taking weeks to get a response or vice versa, this does not give a good impression to you and it doesn’t give a good impression to us.”

• Kerry Hassel – Tulsa Women

• Complete recruiting questionnaires on college crew team websites. This signals your interest and gets you on coaches' radars.

• Send initial emails to coaches at schools you're interested in. Keep it brief but include:

• Your current erg times (2k primarily, also 6k if relevant)

• Recent race results

• Academic info (GPA, test scores)

• Why you're interested in their program

NOTE: You can call coaches, but be aware: you can initiate contact, but under NCAA rules, they often can't call you back until specific dates. Email is usually more reliable.

Junior Year (Winter/Spring):

1. Email coaches with updated erg times after every significant improvement. Send updated race results. Some athletes send video, though this isn't standard practice yet (couldn’t hurt, though).

2. Contact admissions offices at schools you're serious about. Send official transcripts. Let coaches know you've done this—it shows you're taking the process seriously.

3. Attend college rowing camps if possible. These help you see campuses, understand how college teams train, and sometimes get face time with coaches. Even if you don't connect with the host school's coach, the experience helps you improve your rowing and figure out what you want in a college program.

Senior Year (September 1st):**This is when official recruiting opens for most

Division I and II programs. Coaches can now have more direct contact with you.

Senior Year (Fall): Official visit period begins. You are now allowed unlimited official visits (where the school pays travel expenses) to Division I schools. Division II, III, and club programs have different rules—you can often visit as many as you want on unofficial visits (at your own expense).

Still, use visits wisely. 

Senior Year (November):Early signing period for National Letters of Intent.

Senior Year (around April):Regular signing period.

"I wish they knew that their value to a D-I program is not the same as their value to a D-II program, and how crippling student debt can be. A lot of recruits in the USA will choose a partial scholarship to a D-I program and a bunch of student loans over a full scholarship from a D-II program."  -Nick Johnson: Barry University Women’s

Translation: don't get so caught up in the prestige of Division I that you ignore schools offering better financial packages.

Tools and Resources 

NCSA College Recruiting (www.ncsasports.org)This is probably the most comprehensive recruiting platform out there. It's where over 40,000 college coaches actively search for recruits. Creating a free profile gets you access to their college search tools, recruiting guides, and educational content. USRowing has partnered with NCSA, so if you opt in through your USRowing member profile, your erg scores and info automatically update in the NCSA system.

NCSA also offers premium services with recruiting coaches—former college athletes and coaches who can guide you through the process. It's not free, but many families find it worth it for the personalized guidance.

Row2k (www.row2k.com)The go-to site for race results, college team rankings, and rowing news. The recruiting section includes advice from college coaches and athlete perspectives. Row2k also publishes the IRA/USRowing varsity eight coaches' poll and ACRA club team rankings, helping you understand where different programs stand competitively.

USRowing Collegiate Rowing DirectoryComprehensive listing of college rowing programs with contact information. Start here to build your initial list of schools.

Your TRRA CoachesDon't underestimate this resource. Your coaches know you, know the sport, and often have connections in college rowing. They can provide realistic assessments of where you might fit and can make recommendations to college coaches on your behalf.

Sparks College Database (www.sparkadmissions.com)Recommended by recruiting experts, this tool helps you filter schools based on academic and athletic criteria. It's useful for creating that initial target list.

Be Prepared

1.Create a Recruiting Resume: One or two pages max. Include:

• Personal info and contact details

• Academic achievements (GPA, test scores, awards)

• Athletic stats (PR erg times, height, weight)

• Rowing experience (years rowing, club/team affiliation, significant race results)

• Other activities and interests

• This is a great way to demonstrate your enthusiasm, organization and proactivity

2. Track Your Progress:Keep a spreadsheet of schools you've contacted, when you emailed, responses received, and next steps. The recruiting process involves a lot of moving parts—stay organized. Be a Pro. 

3. Be Proactive: Coaches aren't going to find you most of the time (Unless you have, like, a 6:05 2k). You have to find them. You have to reach out, follow up, and advocate for yourself (Many of them share that Communication is key). That said, if a coach consistently takes weeks to respond or seems disinterested, that tells you something about how much they value you as a recruit.

Hint: Look up the coach’s page on the team website. You can often find interesting personal info about them, which can show you care. You can also find their email address, or even a phone number. 

4. Consider the Whole Picture:A partial scholarship at a Division I school might sound impressive, but if it leaves you with $100,000 in student loans, is it worth it? A full scholarship at a Division II school, or significant academic aid at a Division III program with a competitive rowing team, might be a much better choice.

Think about:

• Total cost of attendance vs. scholarship/aid offered

• Academic programs and career preparation

• Location and distance from home

• Team culture and coaching style

• Realistic chance of getting boat time (not just being on the roster)

“In my experience, it’s been easier to explain the benefits of a Division II program to an international student than it is to a domestic student. I think that’s because domestic students have seen top tier Division I universities on television their whole lives, especially football, whereas international students haven’t been exposed to that.” - Jamie Francis: Embry Riddle

What About Walk-Ons?

Important: you don't have to be recruited to row in college. Many programs—even competitive ones—accept walk-ons. College rowing rosters are large (60+ athletes is common), and plenty of spots go to athletes who weren't formally recruited. 

Some programs even prefer teaching complete novices because they can train them in their specific technique and culture without having to "unlearn" habits from other programs.

If you're interested in a school that hasn't recruited you, reach out to the coach anyway. Ask about walk-on opportunities and tryout processes. Many successful college rowers started as walk-ons.

Concluding Thoughts

Getting a rowing scholarship isn't easy, but it's achievable if you put in the work. Focus on things you can control: your erg times, your grades, your communication with coaches, and your understanding of what different programs offer.

Don't get discouraged if coaches at top programs aren't interested—there are hundreds of college rowing programs out there at different competitive levels, and finding the right fit–vibe-wise and financially–matters more than getting recruited by a "big name" school.

Talk to your TRRA coaches early and often. They want to help you succeed, whether that's at a Division I powerhouse or a competitive Division III program.

“Ultimately, I need to like the person I’m recruiting. It doesn’t matter how fast they are, if we can’t connect on a personal level and have a good conversation it’s hard for me to offer that person a spot on my team and hang out with them for the next four years and maintain that relationship as an alumnus. Those intangibles include a sense of humor (appreciating dad / coach jokes), a good work ethic, a competitive spirit, and the ability to know when it’s time for jokes and when it’s time for work.”- Jamie Francis: Embry Riddle

Have questions about college recruiting? Talk to your TRRA coaches or contact us. We're here to help.

Useful Links:

• NCSA College Recruiting

• Row2k College Rowing Info

• USRowing Collegiate Directory

• NCAA Eligibility Center

• Spark Admissions College Database

Q and A with Jill Peters

1. When should a serious rower start thinking about college recruitment?

I think heading into the spring of your sophomore year is when athletes should start thinking about the college recruiting process. The portal for coaches to talk to athletes begins June 15th, going into your junior year, so take that spring to think about what schools meet your criteria so you can hit the ground running that summer. 

2. What should be in that first email to a college coach?

A good introduction email to a coach should include: your name, your graduation class, your city and state, what team you row for, 2k time, 2-3 relevant race results from within the past year (Charles, Youth Nats, Midwest, etc), your GPA, and any academic honors. To stand out, include why you are particularly interested in the school you are reaching out to, maybe it’s a niche academic major, how their team ranks in their championship, if you know someone there, or even that you liked their Instagram. 

3. How often should students follow up without being annoying?

I’d say around 2 times a season, depending on whether there are any major updates. Update emails can include 2k PRs, 6k PRs, race results from that season, what regattas you are attending that season, academic updates, and practice/ technical updates.

4. Should families hire a recruiting consultant, or can they do this themselves?

I don’t think it's necessary to hire a recruiting consultant. The coaches would rather hear from the athletes themselves. I think the only time it would be needed would be for international rowers.

5. How realistic is it for an average TRRA youth rower to get scholarship money?

I believe an average TRRA youth rower could get scholarship money. It really depends on what program you’re looking to row at. I think rowing programs that are a reach academically and athletics-wise won’t give as much/ if any at all, as opposed to maybe a safety program, but it’s a case-by-case basis for each rower.

6. What role should parents play in the recruiting process?

I think this is individual to the athlete and parent, and the athlete should be in control of their own recruitment process. It’s up to the athlete if they want to have their parent come on a college visit or be part of a phone call with a coach. Both of those are ok, but at the end of the day, the athlete is the one who is going to be part of that program for four years, not the parent. With finances, that should be a personal conversation between the athlete and their parent.

7. How do families navigate the financial conversation with coaches?

I think it’s okay to be honest with coaches about what your financial limits are with college, if that is something the family feels comfortable discussing. Sometimes, if they really want you, they can negotiate more money to make it happen. Sometimes there is a limit to how much money a school can provide, and that’ll have to be a private conversation within the family on what is possible.