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 could divide that 12-scholarship value across their roster in partial awards.
• 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.

For scale on what those rosters actually look like: across the 133 Division I women’s lacrosse programs RosterWise analyzed for the 2025-26 season, the median roster carried 34 players, with the middle half of programs between 31 and 37. That leaves 84% of them at or below the new 38-player cap. Our roster data begins with the 2025-26 season, so it describes rosters under the new framework rather than the one it replaced.

At a school that opted in, that is a potential increase of 26 scholarships for the program — from 12 equivalencies to as many as 38.

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, and each school decides what it funds.

2. At least one program has said publicly what it hopes to do. 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 hopes to sustain 38 scholarships on the women’s side.

3. Title IX still applies. Per USA Lacrosse magazine’s coverage, schools must meet Title IX rules for equitable scholarship allotment. Football’s limit at opt-in schools is now 105, 20 more than the previous 85. How a school balances that across its women’s sports is its own decision, so ask each program how it is approaching it.

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this section and the one above said that under the old cap “most athletes received partial scholarships,” called the change “one of the largest proportional scholarship increases of any sport under the settlement,” said women’s lacrosse programs “are expected to distribute across multiple funding tiers,” said the women’s side “stands to gain meaningfully,” and called Title IX “a structural tailwind” from which women’s lacrosse “may benefit.” The comparison had no source, and the rest were forecasts, which we don’t publish. We kept what is on the record: the 12 and 38 limits, the 105 football limit, and North Carolina’s stated hope.

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

The settlement set a ceiling, not a funding level. Each school that opted in decides how many women’s lacrosse scholarships it funds, and we don’t have program-by-program funding figures. So we can’t tell you how many programs have moved toward 38, stayed near the old 12, or done something else, and we won’t guess. What is on the record: USA Lacrosse reported that North Carolina hopes to sustain 38 scholarships on the women’s side.

The implication for families: The answer to “How much will a scholarship be worth at this program?” depends on the school. Families should ask each program directly: How is your program funding women’s lacrosse scholarships under the House settlement framework? The answer may differ across programs at the same competitive level.

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this section sorted D1 programs into three funding groups — those “investing heavily” (described as “particularly those at major conferences with revenue resources”), those “maintaining previous levels,” and those “in transition” — said “partial scholarships remain the dominant pattern,” and said Virginia was “expected to use portions of the settlement’s $2.5 million permitted for new scholarships.” None of it had a source we could verify, and the Virginia statement was a forecast. We replaced the section with what is on the record.

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: Division I’s roster limits (Bylaw 17.2) took effect July 1, 2025. Under the 38-player roster cap, walk-on opportunities are within the same total roster — meaning some walk-on spots at programs operating at the cap may no longer exist. In RosterWise’s 2025-26 data, 84% of Division I women’s lacrosse programs were at or below the 38-player cap (see above).

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this paragraph said women’s lacrosse rosters “often included walk-ons” under the previous framework, gave an average 2024 Division I women’s roster of 34.7 without a source, and concluded that “most women’s programs face less acute roster compression than men’s programs.” We couldn’t verify the 34.7 figure against a primary source, and the rest had no source. We now point to RosterWise’s own 2025-26 roster figures above.

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: 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 NCAA Division II Bylaw 15.4.2.1.2, D2 women’s lacrosse is an equivalency sport limited to 9.9 equivalencies. Programs can divide that total across the roster in partial awards.

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

• The cap is a ceiling, not a budget: 9.9 equivalencies is the most a D2 program may award, not what any given program does award. Funding levels are an institutional choice and are not published. Ask the program directly.
• Partial awards are allowed: Because D2 lacrosse is an equivalency sport, a program can split its equivalencies into partial awards. Ask each program how its athletic offer would fit with academic merit aid, need-based aid, and outside scholarships.
• More D2 programs on the women’s side: the NCAA’s projected 2025-26 sport-sponsorship figures put D2 women’s lacrosse at 112 programs against 80 for D2 men’s; its most recent actual figures, for 2024-25, are 117 and 82. Either way the women’s pool is larger, which means more pathways for recruits. (The NCAA labels the first set as projections and notes actual numbers may change.)

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.

What a D3 school can offer is aid that isn’t tied to athletics:

• Academic merit and need-based aid: What academic or need-based aid a D3 school offers depends on the school. Ask each school’s financial aid office what your daughter could qualify for.
• The financial math changes case by case: A 30% partial athletic scholarship at one D2 program may produce a higher net cost than an academic merit aid package at a D3 school — or a lower one. See How Athletic, Academic, Need-Based, and Outside Aid Actually Stack for the broader framework.
• One D3 coach’s view of the settlement: Per USA Lacrosse magazine, Middlebury head coach Kate Livesay said: “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.”

That is one coach’s read of the post-settlement landscape. We don’t have data on how the settlement has changed where recruits commit.

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of the Division II and Division III sections said “most awards are partial,” that “few D2 women’s lacrosse athletes receive full athletic scholarships,” that families “typically” combine aid, that “many D3 women’s lacrosse programs offer substantial academic merit aid” (naming NESCAC schools and “top liberal arts colleges”), that “the competitive level at top D3 women’s lacrosse programs is genuinely elite,” that Middlebury “has won NCAA D3 women’s lacrosse championships,” and that D1 and D3 “are now competing more directly for the same recruits.” None of these had a source we could verify, and rating programs is outside what we publish. We kept the 9.9-equivalency limit, the Division III rule, and the coach’s attributed quote.

NAIA women’s lacrosse scholarships (and why the NJCAA is not an option)

NAIA women’s lacrosse: NAIA.org states that “NAIA Women’s Lacrosse, first recognized as an official association sport in 2016,” is an official association sport, and the NAIA runs a national championship in it — Benedictine (Kan.) won back-to-back titles, completing an unbeaten season in the most recent final.

On aid, the NAIA Handbook 2025-2026 (Council of Presidents, “Upper Limits for Institutional Aid”) sets an upper limit of 12 for lacrosse. Two things about that number matter for families. The table is not split by gender — it carries a single “Lacrosse” row, the way it carries a single “Soccer” row. And the NAIA limit governs countable institutional aid, not athletic aid alone, so academic and other institutional awards can count against the same 12. A student-athlete counts toward the team limit once they participate in more than 20% of the maximum allowable contests (5 contests in lacrosse) or in NAIA-approved postseason.

Confirm the current limit and how a specific school applies it with the program and at NAIA.org, since these limits are set by the Council of Presidents and can change by handbook cycle.

NJCAA women’s lacrosse: not an option. The NJCAA discontinued women’s lacrosse as a sponsored sport beginning with the 2024-25 academic year, per its July 11, 2024 release, and its 2026-27 sports list carries men’s lacrosse only. That matches the NJCAA’s Sports Procedures Chart, which sets the per-sport cap on Letter of Intent signees and carries a men’s lacrosse row and no women’s lacrosse row. Junior-college lacrosse — and the NJCAA scholarship structure described in our JUCO lacrosse guide — applies to men’s programs only.

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this section treated the status of NJCAA women’s lacrosse as unclear and advised families to confirm it, and this page’s description listed the NJCAA among women’s lacrosse levels. The NJCAA discontinued women’s lacrosse beginning in 2024-25 (NJCAA release, July 11, 2024); we have updated the section and the description.

What this means for family scholarship planning

Several practical implications shape how families should approach scholarship conversations:

Build a target list across multiple divisions: A list that spans divisions lets you compare D1 offers under the new framework with D2’s 9.9-equivalency programs, Division III’s non-athletic aid, and the NAIA.

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. See How Athletic, Academic, Need-Based, and Outside Aid Actually Stack for the integrated approach.

Don’t assume D1 always wins financially: A D1 offer under the new framework can be larger than was possible under the old 12-equivalency limit. A D3 school’s academic or need-based aid can still produce a comparable or lower net cost for some families. Only the actual offers will tell you.

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 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 it does not require a program to fund any particular number, and equivalency rules still allow partial awards. Whether a program offers full scholarships, partial ones or a mix depends on that program’s funding and coaching strategy, so ask each one.

“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 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?”

Division III schools cannot award aid on the basis of athletics, but they can offer academic merit and need-based aid. Depending on the school and your family’s finances, a D3 package can cost less than a partial athletic scholarship elsewhere, or more. The net cost of attendance, not the scholarship percentage, is what matters, so compare actual offers.

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of these answers said “most athletes — even at well-funded programs — receive partial rather than full scholarships,” that academic merit aid “at many D3 schools” can match or exceed partial athletic scholarships, and that “many families discover that the best financial outcome comes from a strong D3 program with substantial merit aid.” None of it had a source, and we rewrote the answers to what the rules allow.

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. Under the House settlement, what each D1 program funds is its own decision, which makes the program-by-program questions more important. 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.

House settlement implementation is still moving. This article reflects the 2025-26 academic year — the settlement’s first year. Verify current scholarship and roster limits at NCAA.org, check USA Lacrosse for coverage of lacrosse-specific implementation, and confirm what a specific program actually funds with its coaching staff. Roster-size figures come from RosterWise’s analysis of 2025-26 Division I women’s lacrosse rosters, computed 2026-08-26.