Scout Bassett Grant (United States)

The Scout Bassett Fund is dedicated to breaking down financial barriers that prevent women athletes with disabilities from reaching their full potential in elite athletic events and competitions while amplifying their stories and remarkable achievements through storytelling.

Funding Information

• A total of $40,000 will be awarded in five (5) grants of $8,000 each. The Scout Bassett Grant is administered by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
• Recipients of the Scout Bassett Grant can reapply in subsequent years, offering them the chance for multiple attempts, even if they have already received funding in the current year.
• Grants can be used for equipment, training, travel, and costs associated with participating in elite sporting events and competitions for women athletes with disabilities.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individuals applying for this grant are evaluated based on the following criteria:
  • Individual applicants must be U.S. citizens, dual citizens, or legal residents.
  • Women athlete with a disability/disabilities with elite paralympic aspirations.
  • Financial need and/or lack of support from traditional sources.
  • Description of how the grant contributes to the athlete’s ongoing involvement and progress in their sport.
  • Grant recipients must agree to have their name and likeness used in promotional assets in perpetuity, which could be shared by the Scout Bassett Fund, Scout Bassett, Women’s Sports Foundation, and Athletes For Impact.
  • Grant recipients must agree to promote the Scout Bassett Fund on their social media and in interviews when appropriate
  • Selected grantees will be featured by the Scout Bassett Fund through its channels and network in order to uplift inspiring stories of how sport has transcended human ability and includes those with disabilities.
• College Eligibility:
  • Per the NCAA, for Division I and Division III athletes, receipt of this fund for general training expenses will jeopardize a prospective student-athletes or an enrolled student-athlete’s amateur status and make the individual ineligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics at the Division I or Division III level. However, in Division I and III NCAA Amateurism rules allow an individual to receive expenses provided they do not exceed the individuals’ actual and necessary expenses and are related to competition, or practice in preparation for competition. If an individual accepts actual and necessary expenses it is the responsibility of each institution to ensure that its student-athletes comply with NCAA legislation.
  • Per the NCAA, for Division II athletes, prior to initial full-time enrollment at any collegiate institution, a prospective student-athlete may use her athletics ability for pay without jeopardizing her amateur status provided the competition occurs during her one-year grace period. The one-year grace period is the year between the prospective student-athlete’s date of high school graduation, as determined by the NCAA Eligibility Center, and the next opportunity to enroll after the one calendar-year period has elapsed. However, if a prospective student-athlete delays full-time collegiate enrollment following the one-year grace period and continues to participate in organized competition involving an amateur or professional team(s), the prospective student-athlete may use a season of intercollegiate competition and could be subject to an academic year in residence. (NCAA Division II Bylaw 14.2.4.2). However, in Division II NCAA Amateurism rules allow an individual to receive expenses provided they do not exceed the individuals’ actual and necessary expenses and are related to competition, or practice in preparation for competition. If an individual accepts actual and necessary expenses it is the responsibility of each institution to ensure that its student-athletes comply with NCAA legislation.
  • Athletes applying for the grant are responsible for checking the financial aid regulations of the NCAA or sports organization governing their current or future high school, college or university to avoid jeopardizing their eligibility for sports participation.

For more information, visit Women’s Sports Foundation.