Should College Athletes Be Paid? Essay -- NCAA, student athlete, sport

Today there are over 450,000 college athletes and the National College Athletics Association (NCAA) faces a difficult decision on whether or not college athletes should be paid. Many people believe that they should and many believe they should not. There are several benefits that college’s athletes receive for being a student athlete. Why should they receive even more benefits than their scholarship and numerous perks? Today, most college athletes receive a scholarship to pay for a portion or sometimes all of one’s college tuition. So, what does a scholarship cover? According to an article written by Tyson Hartnett, â€Å"A $25,000 scholarship covers the basics, university fees, tuition, housing, a meal-plan and textbooks.† But most scholarships given to college athletes are not full rides. According to US News, in 2010, the average scholarship given to a college athlete was worth $10,400. Even with this amount, many college athletes are not granted a scholarship and have to pay for college themselves. Yes, college athletes with scholarship money are still in need of money to have in their pockets: they need personal money for gas, food, clothing, and other things that a college student may need. Paying these athletes may lessen the stress they have dealing with a job during the off-season. Unlike a student going to college with an academic scholarship, a college athlete on an athletic scholarship does not have the time for a job with workouts, classes, practice, and study time that is required. But if you compare a student athlete to just a regular student, the athlete still receives many benefits. Several of the Division I college athletes are always being looked at by their respective professional leagues. There are not re... ...ig-money-in-college-sports-disappears.(accessed December 10, 2013). Montopoli, Brian. Kevin Ware Injury Could Put Scholarship at Risk. April 1, 2013. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kevin-ware-injury-could-put-scholarship-at-risk/.(accessed December 7, 2013). Brynelson, Troy. For All the Money College Sports Teams Bring In, Should Student Athletes Be Paid. October 28, 2013. http://dailyemerald.com/2013/10/28/for-all-the-money-college-sports-teams-bring-in-should-student-athletes-be-paid/.(accessed December 7, 2013). Rosenfeld, Evan, and Scarlett McCourt. Opposing Views: Should NCAA Athletes Be Paid? September 17, 2013. www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2013/09/opposing-views-should-ncaa-athletes-be-paid-091813. (accessed December 7, 2013). Jacobson, Robert. Sports in America: Recreation, Business, Education, and Controversy. Wylie, TX: Information Plus, 2006.