This past month, the Power Five conference passed an autonomy creating full cost of attendance scholarships for student athletes. Up until now, student athletes have received athletic scholarships that cover the necessary costs to go to school. With the passing of this legislation, student athletes will receive the difference between the full cost of attendance and the scholarship. There is a discrepancy between the scholarship and full cost of attendance that is based on the cost-of-living in whatever city a college is located. In Columbus, the discrepancy is between 3,000 and 3,500 dollars. The universities in the Power Five conferences: ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC, have the option to implement the scholarship as early as next school year.
The cons to this legislation are that recruits will possibly use this as a tool to bargain with universities when really the money they are getting isn’t money they can pocket. This extra benefit is to cover the cost-of-living for the students, not an extra stipend.