England and the Student-Athlete – After the success of the 2012 London Olympics, Universities in England have invested heavily in their facilities, and performance sport programs have become more common place.
Universities want to attract high quality student-athletes (Europeans too!) to build and develop these programs. Part of their recruitment packages include partial to full scholarships for postgrads (Masters and PhDs) and undergrad students. English Universities’ scholarships are in relation to tuition fees, so costs such as room, board, visa, flight, insurance, etc are normally paid by the student. There are no “free rides” within the English university system like in USA.
Undergrad degrees are three years and cost $12-18,000 tuition per year; Masters are one year and cost between $12,000 and $20,000. Phd’s are between three and seven years, and approximately cost $20,000 per year. Costs will vary by universities and by degree.
The commitment required and the level of local players is lower and most of the programs are under six years old so don’t expect a D1 student-athlete experience. However the quality of play and coaching is improving each year and you will have time to travel (with four major airports, thereare heaps of cheap flights to basically everywhere in Europe).
Degree options and scholarships vary depending on the school. Many players choose this route to satisfy their quench for an overseas living/volley experience while using their brains to get a cheaper Master’s degree. Beach volley scholarships are also possible. BIP has visited a number of universities in person, meeting the coaches and seeing the cities and campuses to sort out which have the best experience for study/volley/life abroad, + scholarship possibilities.