December 18, 2008
NCSA, for example, aggressively markets its staff of more than 100 former college athletes and coaches, saying the company has direct contacts with 1,700 college athletic departments. Its services start at $795, but can approach $5,000 for families that want more hand-holding and the highest-quality highlight video.
Founded in 2000 by Chris Krause, a former Vanderbilt University football player, NCSA scouts evaluate the students' athletic prowess, review their academic transcripts and come up with a list of schools where they can realistically hope to make the team and receive financial help. Both NCSA and CSA-PrepStar say they won't take on a student who isn't good enough to play at the next level.
NCSA is assisting nearly 4,000 seniors this year, Mr. Krause says, each paying $1,500, on average. The company says students who are successfully recruited receive financial assistance worth on average $15,400 per year. CSA-PrepStar has 3,000 current clients paying between $1,000 and $2,995 each, and cites a 90% placement rate. On average, students placed by the company receive scholarships that cover 60% to 70% their tuition, the company says.
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