One thing that any high school student would love is a free ride to college, especially as costs continue to climb, with 62 percent of students planning to go the next year and $100 billion in grants being spent from public and private sources, according to the Century Foundation, one of America’s oldest policy institutes, with the same report showing that 81 percent of seniors were discouraged from applying to college based on the price of tuition. Additionally, 96 percent of students feel they need at least $5,000 for college, according to scholarship finding tool ScholarshipOwl.

But what about the rare students who do not need to worry about their money, not because of who their parents are nor their academic skill, but those who can get into a school based on their skills in sports?

Both the NCAA and NAIA have programs that allow students to receive money and an incentive to attend the school, at the cost of not needing to make the same academic requirements, with a minimum GPA of 2.3, well below the national average of a 3.0 and the 3.5 or higher demanded by some more selective schools, so even some of the kids in the back could get in if they are good enough athletically.

However, this does not mean that future student-athletes do not try despite the lower standards, with senior Brett Lyons choosing to play for Linfield University, an NCAA Division III school, which means it cannot offer athletic scholarships, despite an opportunity to partially pay his way at a Division II school.

While basketball does not factor much into his decision, Lyons still admits he would be better at a lower level, as “there’s a big difference, just on athleticism and size, the speed of the game is definitely different.”

Lyons mentioned his friend, senior Finley Blankenship, has a lacrosse scholarship to Concordia University, a Division II school in Irvine, California, though she is not going just for that, with aid also provided for her academically, Lyons said that she does not need standards lowered, as “she does take care of it in the classroom, she’s really smart.” Blankenship herself said that she needs a 3.5 GPA for an academic scholarship, well above the 2.8 threshold the school typically requires for admittance.

While it is possible, and maybe a worthwhile alternative to trying to study and pay for college, to get in on athletic talent, many of our most talented students do not see it that way, and study hard just like the rest of us.