Here is my recent paper on the privileges student-athletes have and why they need and deserve them.
Perks of a Student-Athlete
Intercollegiate sports between American universities began in 1852 with a rowing match between Harvard and Yale (Borish). Since then, the number of sports, and their participants, have grown steadily. Today, a high school senior interested in competing in intercollegiate sports can pick between a plethora of sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, rowing, soccer, track and field, volleyball, wrestling, and many more. Choosing to participate in one of these sports at a university requires sacrifice. With the large time commitment required to represent a university in sports, certain privileges are given to student-athletes. While some feel the privileges that student-athletes receive is unfair, I feel that they are necessary for the student-athlete to accomplish all that is asked of him.
There are several privileges student-athletes receive that other students do not. The most well known perk of competing in athletics for a university is scholarship money. While some student-athletes do not receive any financial aid for their sport, known as “walk-ons,” many athletes do. Like any other student, a student-athlete can earn an academic scholarship in addition to athletic scholarships. There is more money available to students competing for their university. Another big privilege student-athletes receive is early enrollment into classes. Student-athletes are generally the first students able to register for classes for the upcoming semester. If a student-athlete has a competition and has to miss class, he is given an institutional excuse and the professor must allow the student-athlete to make it up at another time. The list of perks goes on, an academic advisor dedicated to student-athletes, free and easy access to tutoring, free apparel, and per diem for competitions off of campus.
Some students feel that this special treatment towards student-athletes is unfair. They feel they work just as hard and deserve to have the same opportunities as their athletic peers. For instance, freshmen and sophomores are the last to pick their classes because they have completed the least credits. A freshman student may earn higher grades, but a freshman in football, for example, will get to register for his classes much earlier. Another privilege that many students do not agree with is that student-athletes can make up work and exams that they miss due to athletics. If an average student must leave town for any reason, he generally will not be excused from what they miss in class. Some see this as an unfair advantage given to student-athletes to allow them to get higher grades. In this case, at an institution that was founded to educate, students earning higher marks are getting the privileges they feel they deserve.
At first, one might feel sympathy for the average student and that student-athletes seem spoilt. This is simply not true: student-athletes need the privileges they are given. Without these privileges, it would be very difficult for a student-athlete to pass their courses and eventually graduate. If a basketball player participating in March Madness – a basketball tournament in which some teams compete for several weeks – was unable to make up their lost time in their courses, they would fail all their classes in the semester. Many students, including student-athletes, have trouble paying for their education without some assistance. However, these students, unlike their athletic counterparts, have time to get jobs. One other privilege that student-athletes need is early enrollment. Student-athletes have very specific schedules because of practices and competitions. They need to be the first to register for classes because they must get all their practices done before practice starts in the afternoon.
While it is important for student-athletes to receive privileges because they are necessary, they also deserve them. A student-athlete gives much more to a university than an average student does. A student-athlete represents the university during competition and brings fame to the university. A big football win, like the Boise St. win over Oklahoma just last month, can make a school popular across the country. There is a lot of pressure put on them to act appropriately while on trips, in the community, and any other time they are in the public. Some universities even require their student-athletes to volunteer in the community for a certain number of hours each semester. Student-athletes also deserve the privileges because of the time they put into their sport, in addition to their studies. Practices often last a few hours six days a week. With this large time commitment, student-athletes must sacrifice a lot. They lose much of their free time because of the sport they play.
Student-athletes are apart of collegiate history and will continue to be. They bring fame to the university they play for that an average student cannot. A lot is asked of student-athletes and, in order for them to be successful on and of the playing field, they must have these privileges. Without the privileges given to them, they would perform poorly in class and in their sport. It is important for universities to maintain a good relationship with their student-athletes so they can be successful after graduating in the real world.
Works Cited
Borish, L. J. (1992). The Sprting Past in American History. Organization of American Historians. Retrieved 6, February, 2007 from
