Do College Athletes Get Special Treatment in Academics? Here's What You Need to Know
While colleges support athletes with resources to balance academics and sports, some argue that this may be in the form of "special treatment."
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College athletes bring pride in their universities, representing them in fields that highlight their ability to excel athletically. However, while non-athletic students appreciate the excellence they bring, they are skeptical of the special treatment they receive in academics.
To be clear, college athletes have to spend much of their time attending training and games and sometimes traveling, meaning they do not have as much time for schoolwork as their peers.
In order to overcome this, colleges offer forms of academic support such as tutoring, study halls, and flexible deadlines to help them balance their responsibilities, maintain good academic standing, and meet the eligibility requirements necessary to participate in sports without having to compromise on their athletic commitments.
Do College Athletes Get Special Treatment in Academics?
Despite these support systems, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor explained that colleges still focus on academic integrity. This means that in general, student-athletes are treated like other students and are held to the same standards. Most institutions have very strict policies in place that mandate minimum GPAs and satisfactory progress toward degrees for student-athletes.
Critics, however, argue that some programs might compromise academic standards in favor of athletic success, creating an atmosphere where grades might be inflated or not taken as seriously.
There are some who believe that student-athletes are afforded special privileges that other students do not receive. Among these are the priority of registration, special use of facilities, and even favorable treatment for travel schedules. While supporters view them as supports that the demanding student-athlete schedules require, critics believe they offer an undue advantage to the student-athletes, the 1851 Chronicle shared.
Scandals involving major academic misconduct from college athletes fueled skepticism about how they are being treated. Since then, most schools have set stricter policies for transparency and fairness. The involvement of governing bodies such as the NCAA also holds a significant amount of responsibility to ensure fairness is maintained.
Do college athletes receive special treatment in academics? That depends on how one defines "special treatment." Though they frequently receive extra help, these steps are taken in the interest of making them succeed at both academics and athletics, not avoid academic rigor.
