NCYSC Scholarship

National Cheerleader of the Year Scholarship

Cheerleading scholarships are not easy to find sometimes, and typically to be eligible for a cheerleading college scholarship, you must already be accepted to a school, and have made the cheerleading team before you are eligible for cheer scholarships offered by the school. However, there are a few cheerleader scholarships that are available through various organizations, such as the National Cheerleader of the Year Scholarship Competition.

The National Cheerleader of the Year Scholarship Competition, or NCYSC, is very tough to get, but the competition is open to all cheerleaders who are currently juniors or seniors in high school. The student must be carrying at least a 3.0 GPA. Additionally, the cheerleader who hopes to win this competition must also have notable leadership qualities and a strong background in community service.

Naturally, the student must be very talented as well. In fact, the NCYSC states that the student must have top level talent. After all, the student isn’t just winning a scholarship; he or she is also being named as the National Cheerleader of the Year. It is important to note that the student does not apply for a scholarship in this instance, nor does a student nominate his or her self for the competition. Instead, the cheerleader must be nominated by someone else, such as a cheerleading coach.

It is also important to note that coaches or anyone else who makes nominations are not limited to just one nomination. For example, a coach can opt to nominate all of the members on the cheerleading squad – but there can only be one winner, and each year, there is a deadline for nominations, which is typically the last day of the year, December 31st.

Once a cheerleader has been nominated, they will receive a nomination packet from the NCYSC. Inside the packet, the student will find explicit instructions for accepting the nomination. The student must follow these instructions so that the nomination is properly accepted. This takes the student to stage two of the competition process.

In Stage Two of the process, the student must submit a portfolio to the NCYSC. Again, there are explicit instructions as to what should be included in the portfolio in the nomination packet, as well as how the portfolio is to be submitted. At this point, the National Selection Committee will select no more than 50 finalists. The committee does not have to select 50 finalists, however. They can opt to select fewer than 50.

The final step of the competition takes place in May of each year, at the National Cheer Conference, or CheerCon. A NCYSC cheerleading scholarship is awarded to the winner and the first runner up. The award amounts vary, but they are never less than $1500. The winner of the competition is expected to make appearances throughout the competition season at numerous competitions.

Although there is stiff competition for the National Cheerleader of the Year Scholarship, never assume that you couldn’t win it. You may surprise yourself, and as a college bound student, you should take advantage of every scholarship opportunity that comes your way and not just a cheerleading scholarship.