Paying for your degree
Tuition
Tuition and fees for a full-time student enrolled in the 36-credit Center for Sport Leadership at VCU program (fall and spring semester, plus externship hours) is approximately $29,000.
Any student enrolled in at least nine graduate-level credit hours is defined as a full-time student.
Tuition for distance-learning students who are enrolled in on-campus courses is $569 per credit hour. Please note that applicable university fees will be charged per semester.
Financial aid
Students may apply for financial aid at the same time they apply to the Center for Sport Leadership, but financial aid will not be awarded until a student is accepted into the program.
Tuition for the CSL is not based on residency. For part-time students to be eligible for financial aid, they must be accepted into the program and enrolled in at least five credits.
Accepted CSL students may apply for financial aid online through VCU Financial Aid.
Future Leaders in Sport Leadership Scholarship
The Future Leaders in Sport Scholarship is available to any accepted CSL student and has been generously funded by the CSL’s Alumni Network. This scholarship is based on professional experience, past accomplishments, future potential, grades, and professional preparation. The CSL gives out several Future Leaders scholarships each year, and they are selected and awarded by the Alumni Advisory Council.
Application Process: Please explain, in a professional and compelling argument, the reason(s) the CSL should provide you with a scholarship, and outline your 2- and 5-year career plan. You may provide your application in either a written statement of no more than two pages (single-spaced, 12-point font) or a video submission of no more than 3-minutes in total length. The CSL’s Alumni Advisory Council will assess scholarship applications.
Application Timeline: Scholarship applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning on January 1 of each year. Scholarship applications close on June 30 or once funding has been fully awarded for the academic year.
Gary Family Scholarship
This scholarship was generously created by the Gary Family, both alumni and friends of the program. It is designated for a student who has a direct interest in working in athletics development, revenue generation, or donor relations. Students who are specifically interested in these areas of the sport industry, and who are looking for graduate assistantships related to development, ticketing, corporate partnerships, or donor relations, are eligible to apply.
To apply for this scholarship, please outline your specific career interests related to the revenue generation side of sports, and describe what will be most critical during your time in the CSL to achieving these goals. You may provide your application in either a written statement of no more than two pages (single-spaced, 12-point font) or a video submission of no more than 3-minutes in total length. Scholarship applications will be assessed by a panel of Center for Sport Leadership faculty, staff, and alumni.
Application Timeline: Scholarship applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning on January 1 of each year. Scholarship applications close on June 30 or once funding has been fully awarded for the academic year.
Dr. Gary R. Ness Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship was created to honor the former University of Lynchburg Professor, Dr. Gary R. Ness. During his career as a coach, administrator, and educator, Dr. Ness impacted countless young people, including teaching classes at the CSL after his retirement. This scholarship is only eligible to students who received their undergraduate degree from a College or University in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
To apply for this scholarship, please explain how your undergraduate experience prepared you to succeed in graduate school, as well as how you feel the Center for Sport Leadership will elevate your undergraduate education to launch your career in sport. You may provide your application in either a written statement of no more than two pages (single-spaced, 12-point font) or a video submission of no more than 3-minutes in total length. Scholarship applications will be assessed by a panel of Center for Sport Leadership faculty, staff, and alumni.
Application Timeline: Scholarship applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning on January 1 of each year. Scholarship applications close on June 30 or once funding has been fully awarded for the academic year.
Newfield Center for Sport Leadership Scholarship
This scholarship was generously created by long-time friends and supporters of the CSL. The goal is to award this scholarship to a candidate with a demonstrated financial need. Special consideration may be given to applicants who meet any of the following criteria:
- First generation in one’s family to attend college or graduate school
- Socioeconomically disadvantaged students (includes a variety of criteria)
- Individuals who have overcome substantial educational or economic obstacles
- Individuals who attended minority-serving institutions
- Individuals with disabilities
- Membership in organizations open to all but whose missions seek to advance the needs of populations historically underrepresented in higher education or in the sport leadership field (e.g., women's athletics association).
To apply for this scholarship, please outline how you meet the above criteria, as well as what your goals are as an incoming student in the Center for Sport Leadership. You may provide your application in either a written statement of no more than two pages (single-spaced, 12-point font) or a video submission of no more than 3-minutes in total length. Scholarship applications will be assessed by a panel of Center for Sport Leadership faculty, staff, and alumni.
Application Timeline: Scholarship applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning on January 1 of each year. Scholarship applications close on June 30 or once funding has been fully awarded for the academic year.