Women's Lacrosse Scholarships After the House Settlement: An Honest Family Guide | RosterWise™

The headline change

Per USA Lacrosse magazine’s coverage of the House settlement (approved by Judge Claudia Wilken on June 6, 2025) and the broader sports law analysis:

• Before the settlement: NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse operated under a 12 equivalency scholarship cap. Programs divided that 12-scholarship value across their entire roster (typically 30-35+ players), meaning most athletes received partial scholarships.
• After the settlement: D1 women’s lacrosse programs that opted into the settlement can offer scholarships to up to 38 athletes — matching the new roster cap. The previous 12-scholarship cap was eliminated. Equivalency rules still allow partial scholarships.

This expansion is one of the largest proportional scholarship increases of any sport under the settlement. Per Sports Illustrated’s published Boston College table on the new framework, women’s lacrosse moved from 12 to 38 — a potential increase of 26 scholarships per program.

The honest framing — three things to understand immediately

1. The 38 figure is a maximum, not a requirement. The new cap allows participating schools to award up to 38 scholarships. It does not require any specific funding level. Per USA Lacrosse magazine’s coverage of head coach commentary, women’s lacrosse programs are expected to distribute across multiple funding tiers — some increasing significantly toward the cap, others maintaining previous levels, others reducing investment.

2. Women’s lacrosse benefited structurally from the settlement. Per USA Lacrosse magazine’s coverage of head coach reactions, the women’s side stands to gain meaningfully. North Carolina head coach Jenny Levy is quoted by USA Lacrosse: “I always felt like we just never had that opportunity to reward our athletes the same way that other sports were rewarding their athletes. That’s a positive change.” Per the same coverage, North Carolina aims to sustain 38 scholarships on the women’s side.

3. Title IX is a structural tailwind. Per USA Lacrosse magazine’s coverage, schools must meet Title IX rules for equitable scholarship allotment. With football scholarship limits expanded by 20 at opt-in schools, women’s sports gain matching scholarship growth potential to maintain Title IX compliance. Women’s lacrosse is one of the sports that may benefit from this dynamic at schools with large football programs.

What scholarship offers actually look like in 2025-26 and beyond

The variance across programs is now substantial. Different categories of D1 women’s lacrosse programs face very different realities:

Programs investing heavily in women’s lacrosse: Some D1 programs — particularly those at major conferences with revenue resources — are using the settlement to expand women’s lacrosse scholarship funding significantly. North Carolina’s stated intention to sustain 38 scholarships is one example. Per USA Lacrosse coverage, schools like Virginia are expected to use portions of the settlement’s $2.5 million permitted for new scholarships to increase opportunities for women’s lacrosse. Programs in this tier may offer more full scholarships, larger partial scholarships, or both.

Programs maintaining previous levels: Other D1 programs continue to fund women’s lacrosse at or near the previous 12-scholarship equivalent. For these programs, the settlement’s main impact is the elimination of the formal cap rather than dramatic funding increases. Partial scholarships remain the dominant pattern.

Programs in transition: A third group is still working through what their post-settlement funding looks like. The first full recruiting cycle under the new framework is still unfolding, and program-specific scholarship realities will continue to crystallize across multiple recruiting cycles.

The implication for families: The question “How much will a scholarship be worth at this program?” now varies far more from school to school than it did before. Families should ask each program directly: How is your program funding women’s lacrosse scholarships under the House settlement framework? The answer may differ significantly across programs at the same competitive level.

How D1 women’s lacrosse scholarships actually work

A few mechanical realities about D1 women’s lacrosse scholarships under the new framework:

Equivalency remains: D1 women’s lacrosse is an equivalency sport. This means a program’s total scholarship allotment can be split into partial scholarships in any combination — full scholarships, half scholarships, quarter scholarships, etc. — as long as the total doesn’t exceed the program’s funded equivalent.

Walk-ons exist but face tighter constraints: Under the previous framework, women’s lacrosse rosters often included walk-ons beyond the 12 scholarship players. Under the new 38-player roster cap, walk-on opportunities are within the same total roster — meaning some traditional walk-on spots at programs operating at the cap may no longer exist. The average D1 women’s lacrosse roster in 2024 was 34.7 (below the new cap), so most women’s programs face less acute roster compression than men’s programs.

Designated Student-Athletes (DSAs): Per USA Lacrosse magazine, the settlement’s transition provision allowed schools to identify rostered athletes (or incoming 2025-26 freshmen) who would have been cut under the new roster limits and grandfather them in. These DSAs do not count against the roster cap during their remaining eligibility. DSA designation transfers with the athlete if they move to another school. This was a one-time exemption tied to identification by the July 6, 2025 deadline.

Not all D1 programs opted in: Per multiple sources including Whiteford Taylor Preston LLP’s analysis of the settlement, schools opting into the settlement must abide by the new roster limits AND can fully fund up to those limits. Schools that did not opt in operate under the previous framework. Families should ask each program directly whether it has opted into the settlement.

D2 women’s lacrosse scholarships

The House settlement primarily reshaped NCAA Division I. Other divisions operate under different rules.

Per ScholarshipStats.com and standard NCAA D2 documentation, NCAA Division II women’s lacrosse continues to operate under D2-specific scholarship rules. D2 women’s lacrosse is an equivalency sport with a per-program scholarship cap. Programs divide their scholarship allotment across the roster, with most awards being partial scholarships.

For NCAA Division II in particular, the practical realities include:

• Many D2 programs are not fully funded: Per multiple recruiting resources, many D2 women’s lacrosse programs operate below the maximum scholarship allotment due to budget constraints. The published cap is the maximum; actual program funding varies.
• Partial scholarships are the norm: Few D2 women’s lacrosse athletes receive full athletic scholarships. Most awards are partial, and families typically combine athletic aid with academic merit aid, need-based aid, and outside scholarships.
• 111 D2 women’s lacrosse programs exist: Per the official NCAA Division II lacrosse programs documentation, there are 111 women’s D2 programs as of the 2025 NCAA lacrosse season — significantly more than the 78 men’s D2 programs. The larger pool of D2 women’s programs means more pathways for recruits.

D3 women’s lacrosse — no athletic scholarships, but…

NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse programs do not offer athletic scholarships under any circumstances. This rule has not changed with the House settlement.

However, D3 women’s lacrosse remains a meaningful pathway for many recruits — particularly when academic merit aid is factored in:

• Many D3 women’s lacrosse programs offer substantial academic merit aid: At academically selective D3 schools (NESCAC schools, top liberal arts colleges, and other selective programs), academic merit aid packages can produce competitive financial outcomes. Some D3 schools meet 100% of demonstrated need; others use merit aid aggressively to attract strong student-athletes.
• The financial math changes case by case: A 30% partial athletic scholarship at one D2 program may produce a higher net cost than an attractive academic merit aid package at a similar-tier D3 school. See How Athletic, Academic, Need-Based, and Outside Aid Actually Stack for the broader framework.
• The competitive level at top D3 women’s lacrosse programs is genuinely elite: The NESCAC and other top D3 conferences feature competitive programs. Middlebury, for example, has won NCAA D3 women’s lacrosse championships. Per USA Lacrosse magazine, Middlebury head coach Kate Livesay acknowledged the post-settlement reality: “Now with the scholarship money that’s out there, it makes our job harder to pull in that person who’s teetering on the fence of D-I or D-III. It becomes harder to go D-III and pass up on what could be a really nice scholarship.”

For many families, D3 women’s lacrosse remains a strong option — but the post-settlement landscape means D1 and D3 are now competing more directly for the same recruits than they were before.

NAIA and NJCAA women’s lacrosse scholarships

NAIA women’s lacrosse: The NAIA operates under its own framework. Per the National Women’s Lacrosse League (NWLL) reference data, the NAIA does not currently organize lacrosse as a championship sport for its member institutions, though some NAIA schools sponsor women’s lacrosse through conferences like the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates (WCLA) framework. NAIA athletic scholarships are available at schools that sponsor varsity women’s lacrosse, though scholarship rules and funding vary significantly by school.

NJCAA women’s lacrosse: Junior college women’s lacrosse provides another pathway. Per NJCAA.org, NJCAA Division I programs may offer full athletic scholarships; D2 programs may offer scholarships covering tuition, fees, and books; D3 programs do not offer athletic scholarships. See JUCO Volleyball as a Recruiting Pathway for a parallel discussion of how the JUCO model works across sports.

What this means for family scholarship planning

Several practical implications shape how families should approach scholarship conversations:

Build a target list across multiple divisions: With increased D1 scholarship potential but tighter roster spots, and with strong academic aid options at D3 schools, families benefit from considering programs across multiple divisions rather than focusing exclusively on D1.

Ask each program specifically about scholarship structure: Generic questions like “What scholarships do you offer?” produce generic answers. Specific questions like “Under the House settlement, how is your program funding women’s lacrosse scholarships?” and “What’s the typical scholarship range for incoming freshmen at the position my daughter plays?” produce more useful information.

Consider the total financial picture, not just athletic aid: A scholarship offer is only one component of the total cost of college. Academic merit aid, need-based aid (FAFSA), the Pell Grant exception (which allows Pell to stack on top of full athletic aid per NCAA Bylaw 15.1.1), and outside scholarships can all change the net cost dramatically. See How Athletic, Academic, Need-Based, and Outside Aid Actually Stack for the integrated approach.

Don’t assume D1 always wins financially: The Middlebury coach’s framing matters. A meaningful D1 scholarship may now exceed what was possible before the settlement. But a strong academic merit aid package at a high-academic D3 program may still produce a comparable or lower net cost — particularly for families whose athletes have strong academic credentials.

Walk-on opportunities have changed: The new 38-player roster cap means some traditional walk-on spots at D1 programs no longer exist. Families considering walk-on pathways should ask each program directly whether walk-on opportunities are available under their current roster construction.

Common questions about women’s lacrosse scholarships

“Will my daughter get a bigger scholarship now because of the settlement?”

Maybe. The settlement increased the maximum scholarship potential at participating D1 programs, but actual program funding varies. Some programs may offer significantly larger scholarships than they could before; others may continue offering similar levels. The answer depends on which specific program is offering.

“Do all D1 women’s lacrosse programs offer full scholarships now?”

No. The cap allows up to 38 scholarships, but most athletes — even at well-funded programs — receive partial rather than full scholarships. The mix of full and partial scholarships at any specific program depends on that program’s funding and coaching strategy.

“What’s a ‘good’ scholarship offer in women’s lacrosse?”

There’s no single answer. A good offer is one that fits your family’s financial situation, your daughter’s competitive level, and her program preferences. A 60% scholarship at a top D1 program may be excellent for one family; a 30% scholarship at a D2 program may be ideal for another. Compare offers in the context of the total financial picture, not just the percentage.

“If a D3 school doesn’t offer athletic scholarships, why should we consider it?”

Academic merit aid at many D3 schools can produce financial packages competitive with or exceeding partial athletic scholarships at D1 or D2 schools. The total cost of attendance, not the scholarship percentage, is what matters. Many families discover that the best financial outcome comes from a strong D3 program with substantial merit aid.

“What if my daughter’s program drops women’s lacrosse entirely?”

Per USA Lacrosse magazine’s coverage of Maryland coach John Tillman’s analysis, a small number of programs may eliminate women’s lacrosse entirely under the settlement’s financial pressures. If your daughter has committed to a program that subsequently drops lacrosse, the transfer portal is the standard pathway to a new opportunity. See The Transfer Portal Explained.

Every recruit’s financial journey is different

No two women’s lacrosse families have the same scholarship experience. Some athletes commit to a D1 program offering substantial scholarships at the new higher cap; others find better fits at D3 programs with strong academic merit aid; others land at D2 or NAIA programs with partial scholarships that combine with academic and need-based aid to produce great total packages. The post-House settlement scholarship landscape has more variance than ever before — and that variance creates both opportunity and complexity. Use this guide as context to inform conversations with each program your daughter is considering, ask direct questions about each program’s specific scholarship structure under the new framework, and evaluate offers based on total financial outcome rather than headline percentages.

The House settlement is in active implementation. Program-specific funding decisions continue to evolve. Families should verify current scholarship information directly with each program’s coaching staff.