Should College Athletes Get Prepaid

Athletes that are participating in NCAA sports already receive enough money through scholarships and other types of indirect payment. Why should they be paid a salary for their athletic abilities? These athletes receive many types of indirect payment from the school when they are enrolled in school and playing a sport there. They receive scholarships that pay for parts of their tuition; that covers a very expensive part of college. Athletes also receive free room and board from the school. This covers a very stressful and expensive part of enrolling in college. In addition to that, some of these athletes are receiving a prepaid meal plan that will provide them with food when they are enrolled in the college. They won’t have to pay for their …show more content…
Most athletes that play at the division one level are receiving some amount of a scholarship whether that be 100% or anywhere below that. The better players will receive more scholarship money compared to the less talented players. If the athlete were to get paid, that is how it would work. The better athletes would be paid more. Division 1 schools “can provide student-athletes with scholarships to cover tuition” (DiLascio, Tracey M.). This is just an indirect payment for bringing their athletic abilities to the school that is providing the scholarship. It is hard for athletes now to realize that they are actually getting paid because they want to receive a check addressed to them with a certain amount of money. Later on in their life, a reasonable person, will realize how much they actually were getting paid in college when they aren’t drowning in student loan debt. An arrogant college student will want to get paid directly “however, none of this money is paid directly to the players” (Dilascio, Tracey M.). These players aren’t receiving money directly for them to use at their own discretion. The money is guaranteed to go towards something useful such as a good education. Athletes receiving scholarships and the fact that athletes need to realize that they are getting money indirectly support that division 1 athletes should …show more content…
One of the most expensive and stressful parts of college is figuring out your room and board situation. Athletes that don’t have to worry about the cost of this don’t realize how much money that are being indirectly paid by the school. Along with covering tuition for the student, “schools can provide student-athletes with scholarships to cover room and board” (DiLascio, Tracey M.). Athletes may also receive a meal planned paid for by the school. This meal plan could include 3 free meals a day from the school cafeteria or a certain amount of money allotted to the athlete by the school to spend on money. This money would be regulated somehow by the school to make sure it is spent on food for the athlete. Many colleges will pay for a meal plan throughout the student-athlete 's entire time at the school, “Nova’s meal plans are pretty much standard, although a handy feature is a series of plans known as “Inflation Fighters” that guarantee the price of the plan will remain constant throughout a student’s time at the school” (Best Colleges). Villanova University, for example, provides a meal plan for the student throughout the entire time they are at the school and not just for when their sport is in season. Athletes that receive free room and board and also a meal plan are getting indirect financial benefits from their