The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. It provides an award given to student-athletes who have excelled academically and athletically, and who plan to pursue graduate school. All former student-athletes who earned an undergraduate degree from an NCAA member school are eligible to be nominated by that school for an NCAA graduate degree scholarship, regardless of when they received their undergraduate degree. Nominees must be student-athletes at an active NCAA member institution who must be in the final season of NCAA athletics eligibility or must have completed athletic eligibility. The degree of the student-athlete's athletics achievement will be weighed in conjunction with academic performance, institutional involvement, and volunteer community service. Nominees must also be outstanding citizens and excellent role models for the institution and intercollegiate athletics. Students must be nominated by their school's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) or their designee. Each NCAA school may nominate up to five student-athletes per gender, per sport season. A formal personal statement accomplished by the nominee is required. Letters of Recommendation from a coach or someone in the position to judge the student-athletes contribution to intercollegiate athletics; someone in the position to speak to his or her community service and leadership; and a professor teaching in the discipline of the student-athlete's baccalaureate degree must also be submitted. The Fall application opens on September 16 and ends on January 10. The Winter application opens on January 10 and ends on March 21. The Spring application opens on March 14 and ends on May 23. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.