Mercer Times

Mercer County's four universities invested $5,377,435 in athletically-related financial aid for college students in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This is a 3.3% decrease compared to the previous year, when the county invested $5,560,040 in college sports aid.

There were 1,261 male and 891 female student-athletes who competed for one or more sports teams representing the four colleges in the county in 2023. Male students received 24% more financial aid on average than female students.

Rider University stood out as the university in Mercer County which received most of the financial aid during 2023. The institution received $5,245,203, or 97.5% of all the money invested in the county.

Male students who play basketball generally receive the most in financial aid, followed closely by football players. Female students playing ice hockey often receive the most in financial aid.

Only a small percentage of college expenses are typically covered by athletic scholarships, and only for a select few students.

A study found that 71% of student athletes participated in sports to earn a college scholarship.

Year	Athletically Related Student Aid	Student-athletes Enrollment
2014	$3,666,103	2,024
2015	$4,088,529	2,059
2016	$4,179,991	2,064
2017	$4,933,854	1,967
2018	$5,055,081	2,006
2019	$5,228,068	2,068
2020	$5,187,410	2,044
2021	$5,251,995	1,177
2022	$5,560,040	2,075
2023	$5,377,435	2,152