First Point USA Scholarships

We believe that the US scholarship process is the ideal opportunity for any talented sportsperson to pursue both an academic & sporting career. It is a process that has been tried and tested for many years and produces the majority of professional sportsmen & women you see in the USA today.

FirstPoint USA carries a limited amount of places on its ‘Scholarship Program’ every year to ensure that every client receives the time and attention that is required to gain a scholarship to an American university.

If you are success in being offered a place with FirstPoint, details of the ‘Scholarship Program’ are as follows:

Stage 1
Initial playing and academic assessment
Registration to the FirstPoint USA programs

Stage 2
Calculate approximate GPA
Research & short-listing of universities and sports programs
SAT ‘mock’ papers and registration and advice
NCAA Clearinghouse registration and advice
Profile creation & production
Review, edit, and application of footage
Scheduled meeting with consultant to review all of the above

Stage 3
Release of promotional materials to identified college coaches
Daily management of interested and contact with coaches
Update releases to coaches and colleges regarding client
Scheduled meeting with Consultant to discuss progress
Review & filing of all client/coach communication
Review & negotiation of all scholarship offers
Decision making assistance
Assistance with application forms
Student-Visa completion
Review and implementation of Health Insurance

Example of FirstPoint Client Page

The SAT Exam
FirstPoint is the only commercial company in the world of its kind with permission to host the SAT exam – the essential qualification for American colleges in the NCAA and NAIA.

Footage
Each of FirstPoint’s clients will have active footage of them competing on their online profile. This footage is only accessible to coaches identified on the clients behalf, and can be watched anywhere in the world, 24 hours per day.

Constant Playing Assessment
FirstPoint insists on ‘Constant Playing Assessment’ of their clients. Each client, particularly for soccer, will be asked to attend games throughout their time on the Scholarship Program to be assessed by the FirstPoint staff and for the review of American coaches throughout the year and recruiting period. Games will be held monthly in Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Australia, and New Zealand.

Quarterly Meetings
FirstPoint staff love to talk to clients – the more often the better. With that said, clients are able to attend meetings with staff for updates or for a general chat at any time. However, most FirstPoint Consultants will try to invite clients to their office for a quarterly update to discuss their file.

US College Footage:

Example of NCAA DI Sports Facilities
NCAA College Men’s Soccer
Ohio State Football Pre-Game

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
You MUST be an AMATEUR to pursue a Sports Scholarship to any College or University in the USA. Those who have held or currently hold professional status in their sport are ineligible to compete within the NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA respectively.
For further information, please go to:

www.ncaa.org - NCAA
www.naia.org - NAIA
www.njcaa.org - NJCAA

If you plan to compete with one of the NCAA's college or university sports teams,
there are several considerations before pursuing a scholarship opportunity.

1. Amateurism
As it can be quite common for a soccer player, for example, to have been a 'Youth' or Non-Professional player with a 'professional' team in the UK & Europe, it is important that you determine whether you have jeopardised your eligibility. The following 'Amateurism Questionnaire' will provide you with some insight as to the questions the NCAA will wish to have answered should your eligibility be questioned.

2. Foreign Sports Teams
The professional or non-professional definition for a sports team outside the USA has been a grey area for many over the years. This year, the NCAA has set-out a list of questions that would be put to a foreign sports team in an attempt to ensure that the incoming athlete has not jeopardised their eligibility. An example of these questions can be found by clicking here.