Courtesy: United States Olympic Committee
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic Committee, in partnership with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, today announced that the Athlete Career and Education Program will disburse more than $240,000 in higher education tuition grants during the spring term, a 75 percent increase from the previous distribution period. The grants are disbursed biannually, for application toward tuition at accredited institutions within 18 months of disbursement.
In total, 95 athletes were awarded tuition assistance through ACE, including $81,315 earmarked for active U.S. Olympians and Paralympians, $63,530 for other current Team USA athletes and $96,050 to retired Olympians and Paralympians.
“We are proud and honored to be able to support the higher education aspirations of our Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls,” said Leslie Klein, director of ACE. “The tuition grants program is one of the many important ways we aim to support Team USA athletes in their pursuit of excellence on and off the field of play.”
The grants are in addition to the support provided by USOC’s partner DeVry University, which awarded $1.5 million in full-tuition scholarships to athletes and celebrated its 100th Team USA graduate in 2018. Also not included in this term’s calculated total is an additional $12,000 granted by The Dow Chemical Company Foundation for use by 18 athletes who participated in Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business Next Step program, designed for military veterans as well as Team USA athletes transitioning to careers in business.
Since ACE began administration of the USOC’s tuition grants in 2017, the program has distributed nearly $700,000 in tuition grants to 242 athletes. The tuition grant program is largely funded by donors to the USOPF and assists in making higher education more accessible for U.S. Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls.
Twenty Olympic and 13 Paralympic sports were represented in this term’s grant recipient pool, as well as 69 different higher education institutions, including Brown, Columbia, MIT and Stanford. Eight athletes are in pursuit of doctorate degrees, and more than half of the 95 athletes are first-time grant recipients.
In addition to the tuition grants program, USOC’s ACE serves athletes in their career, education and life skills development through multiple pathways, including pivot programs for athletes retiring from their sport; financial literacy and tax advising; career coaching, resume and interview assistance, networking opportunities and an employer network; and mentorship programs with Team USA athletes who have transitioned into careers after sport. In 2018, nearly 600 athletes received direct support through the USOC’s ACE Program.
About the USOC
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America’s athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.
