Cost of attendance scholarships approved

Full cost of attendance scholarships were approved Saturday at the NCAA convention.

Student-athletes will see their scholarships increase to cover expenses outside of their tuition, room and board and books.

The measure passed 79-1, with only one NCAA school casting a dissenting vote.

The Power Five conferences include 65 schools that had pushed for the cost-of-attendance scholarship proposal to pass. The amount of the increase per scholarship remains to be determined, but it could be as much as $5,000 or more and be used for miscellaneous and travel expenses.

Also approved were guaranteed four-year scholarships that cannot be lost or reduced based on athletic performance. However, scholarships could be cut because of academics or off-the-field issues.

The Big 12 and the SEC were not in favor the scholarship guarantee proposal based on it impacting coaches’ ability to discipline players.

Other approved proposals give athletes the option to borrow against future earnings, set new concussion management protocols and allow schools to purchase loss-of-value insurance for players without using the student assistance fund.

Eighty voters attended the convention, including 15 student-athletes, from the 65 Power Five schools.