Indiana's Alston awards allow full-scholarship athletes to earn $5,980

Athletes at Indiana who are on a full athletic scholarship will be eligible to receive a maximum of $2,990 per semester, or $5,980 annually, under Indiana’s athletic department academic achievement award policy. On3 obtained a copy of the policy, which is dated Jan. 19, 2022, through a public records request.

Institutions can provide these education-related financial awards, commonly referred to as Alston awards, to athletes. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled 9-0 in NCAA v. Alston in June 2021, affirming a district court ruling that NCAA rules violated antitrust rule.

Each school can determine if, and how, it provides Alston awards. The Big Ten determined that each of its member institutions can establish eligibility requirements “that are consistent with the Big Ten’s historic emphasis on academic achievement and graduation,” according to Indiana’s Alston awards policy.

You can learn more by reading On3’s guide to Alston awards.

In order to be eligible, athletes at Indiana must meet the standards required to earn the Academic Progress Rate (APR) points for retention and academic eligibility, be a member of an athletic program for the entire semester and not receive any disciplinary sanctions of suspension, deferred suspension or expulsion from the Office of Student Conduct.

Athletes who are on a full or partial scholarship will receive Alston awards that are proportional to their athletic scholarship. The maximum allowable annual amount for Alston awards is $5,980 because that’s the most an individual athlete “could receive in an academic year in participation, championship or special achievement awards,” according to the NCAA.

All athletes at Indiana, regardless of their scholarship status, including walk-ons, can receive a minimum award of $250 for each the fall and spring semesters. Athletes at Indiana can’t earn Alston awards during the summer.

How Indiana’s Alston awards policy compares to other Big Ten schools

Indiana’s Alston awards eligibility criteria are pretty standard.

At Illinois, for example, athletes must also meet the standards required to earn the APR eligibility and retention points, not engage in “serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty,” and not withdraw from the sport or enter the Transfer Portal before the start of the following semester.

However, Illinois’ Alston awards aren’t prorated based upon an athlete’s athletic scholarship equivalency status, like they are at Indiana and Iowa. Some of Iowa’s Alston awards are contingent upon graduation. Unlike Indiana, however, walk-on athletes at Iowa who are a member of an athletic program for at least three years can receive $2,990 per year upon graduation.

Wisconsin withholds up to $5,000 of the maximum annual allowable amount of $5,980 through its Alston awards for undergraduate students. All athletes, including walk-ons, are eligible for Alston awards.