When young adults head off to college, many have to struggle to find ways to pay for their education. This can be done by means of work-study programs, financial aid as well as student loans. However, there are fortunate individuals who are given the opportunity to get a higher education free of charge. In turn, these students must participate in school sports. Those who are chosen to get fully-paid athletic scholarships are selected because they are the best of the best in their sport. Many believe that these students should be paid because these students are under extreme physical and mental pressure. Although college football students work hard as athletes, they should not be compensated for their performance. First, it is important to examine what exactly separates a college athlete from a professional paid athlete. A professional athlete is compensated because of their contributions to their sport. College athletes are compensated by receiving a free education as well as other incentives. College athletes are overseen by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), which is the governing body in college sports. The NCAA keeps very close watch on the activities of college athletes, especially when it comes to them being potentially paid by an individual or company. They have strict rules against athletes being paid because it is seen as creating a divide in sports. It could tilt the playing field of all athletes because if money becomes a factor, larger colleges could use it to pay the best players to come to their schools which would be unfair
(Cassavaugh, 1). In addition, money could potentially be used as a bargaining tool to entice a player to cross over into professional sports. This could also have an effect on professional sports such as the NBA and the NFL, which are arenas that are both unrelated to college sports. By schools not paying athletes, it serves as a way of making sure that