Recruits sign financial aid package in September... How does this work?

BamaFossil

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I read where two athletes we're recruiting just signed financial aid packages to Alabama. I'm obviously missing something since I thought HS athletes had to wait until national signing day in February to make their official commitments. Is this a situation where a school can give financial aid to a recruited athlete if the athlete plans to enter school in January or something? I assume that once enrolled and the February signing date is reached, the financial aid package reverts to an athletic scholarship...??

I'm just trying to understand this a bit better, given all the attention paid to the February signing date. Thanks in advance for any comments and insight.
 

RTR91

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A player that will graduate in December and enroll in a school in January can sign a financial agreement. Once they do that, the school can publicly announce the player's signing and has unlimited communication with the player. However, the player can still attend another school.
 

TideMan09

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Yup..When the recruit signs the financial agreement with a school, do they receive some sort of financial aid from the school, if that's how it works..I don't understand the purpose of it, if the kid can receive the aid from one school, then turn around & commit to another school, just makes no sense to me..
It's a pretty one sided process to, by the way. It's binding for the university but not the player.
 

B1GTide

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Yup..When the recruit signs the financial agreement with a school, do they receive some sort of financial aid from the school, if that's how it works..I don't understand the purpose of it, if the kid can receive the aid from one school, then turn around & commit to another school, just makes no sense to me..
It has a single purpose - to secure a kid's future by locking in the scholarship. It does not help the school at all, and it does nothing further for the kid.

Some schools/coaches have been accused of pulling offers. With this option, that is no longer a valid complaint. You want to lock in an offer, fill out the paperwork.
 

BamaFossil

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Thanks for the comments. It does leave me with a nagging thought, though...

If the student athlete plans to enter school in January and signs this early scholarship with Alabama, but prior to enrolling decides to attend another school... Has Alabama expended one of its 25 available scholarships and now only has 24 to work with? Or, (hopefully... surely...) the situation becomes no-harm, no-foul; the student goes where he wants to and Alabama doesn't lose a scholarship...(?)
 

RTR91

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Nov 23, 2007
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Thanks for the comments. It does leave me with a nagging thought, though...

If the student athlete plans to enter school in January and signs this early scholarship with Alabama, but prior to enrolling decides to attend another school... Has Alabama expended one of its 25 available scholarships and now only has 24 to work with? Or, (hopefully... surely...) the situation becomes no-harm, no-foul; the student goes where he wants to and Alabama doesn't lose a scholarship...(?)
Players aren't signing scholarship. Bama won't lose a scholarship if a player decided to go elsewhere.


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TideMan09

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So it's pretty much just an non-binding agreement, but, I was asking no money or financial aid is received from the school by the recruit then..No finances of any kind passes hands from the University to the recruit..Right???..
 
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