NCAA Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship Grant

NCAA Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: National Collegiate Athletic Association
Amount: US $24,000
Last Updated: November 18, 2025

Summary

The NCAA Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship is awarded annually to one male and one female student-athlete, recognizing outstanding academic achievement and potential for success in graduate study. Each scholarship provides $24,000 for one academic year, with the possibility of renewal. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.500, compete in NCAA athletics, and demonstrate strong character and leadership. The scholarship aims to support future leaders in their chosen fields, fostering excellence in academics and community engagement.

Overview

NOTE: A nomination is due at the deadline. If you satisfy the qualifications, please contact your faculty athletics representative (FAR) or FAR Designee about obtaining a nomination. All former student-athletes who earned an undergraduate degree from an NCAA member school are eligible to be nominated by that school for an NCAA graduate degree scholarship, regardless of when they received their undergraduate degree. NCAA Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship In 1988, the National Collegiate Athletic Association established the Walter Byers Scholarship to recognize the contributions of the former executive director through encouraging excellence in academic performance by student-athletes. Annually, one male and one female student-athlete are awarded a $24,000 Walter Byers scholarship in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and potential for success in graduate study. It is intended that an individual named a Byers Scholar will be recognized as one who has combined the best elements of mind and body to achieve national distinction for his or her achievements, and promises to be a future leader in his or her chosen field of career service. The Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship is separate and distinct from the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, which provides numerous annual awards with smaller stipends. The stipend for each Byers Scholarship is $24,000 for an academic year. If the graduate school where the Byers Scholar is enrolled provides evidence of the scholar's satisfactory performance and progress, the grant may be renewed for a second year. Therefore, in any single year, $96,000 worth of scholarships are awarded ($48,000 to the current year's recipients and $48,000 to the previous year's awardees for their second year of graduate school). Final award is contingent upon acceptance and attendance at an accredited, nonprofit educational institution; stipends are paid through the institution in which the Byers Scholar is enrolled for graduate study. To defer the scholarship for any reason, a Byers Scholar must submit a written request to the committee liaison for approval. Financial need shall not be a factor in the granting of these scholarships. Awards from other sources will not disqualify an applicant, except that an awardee may not use more than one NCAA graduate scholarship. The program is administered by the Walter Byers Scholarship Committee, established by the NCAA membership and appointed by the NCAA Division I Administration Cabinet and Divisions II and III Management Councils. The committee will review the nominations, contact the finalists for an interview by the committee and select the final recipients. Evidence of acceptance into a graduate degree program or a post-baccalaureate professional degree program may be submitted after the notification of an award, but must be supplied by the institution in which the Byers Scholar enrolls for graduate work before the funding of the scholarship. If the initial awardee is not admitted to an appropriate graduate program, the award will be withdrawn and an alternate will receive the award.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. To be eligible for consideration, nominees shall:Have an overall undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.500 or better (based on a maximum 4.000), or the equivalent in other recognized grading systems; Have competed in intercollegiate athletics as a member of a varsity team at an NCAA member institution; Be a graduating senior or be enrolled in graduate study at an NCAA member institution; Have intentions of applying for admission into a graduate degree program at a properly accredited, nonprofit educational institution or into a post-baccalaureate professional degree program at a professionally accredited law school, medical school, or the equivalent, without restriction as to the national site of the institution; Be committed to work on a full-time basis toward a graduate degree or a post-baccalaureate professional degree; Have evidenced superior character and leadership; Have demonstrated that participation in athletics and community service has been a positive influence on the nominee’s personal and intellectual development; Enroll into a graduate degree program within five years of being named a Byers Scholar and United States citizenship is not a required criterion to satisfy eligibility requirements.

Ineligibility

Awards from other sources will not disqualify an applicant, except that an awardee may not use more than one NCAA graduate scholarship.