St. Paul Reporter

Ramsey County's seven universities invested $7,233,947 in athletically-related financial aid for college students in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This is a 55% increase compared to the previous year, when the county invested $4,665,739 in college sports aid.

There were 1,523 male and 1,249 female student-athletes who competed for one or more sports teams representing the seven colleges in the county in 2023. Male students received 26.9% less financial aid on average than female students.

University of St. Thomas stood out as the university in Ramsey County which received most of the financial aid during 2023. The institution received $4,752,383, or 65.7% 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	$1,444,061	2,656
2015	$1,430,818	2,805
2016	$1,556,517	2,842
2017	$1,897,036	2,854
2018	$2,046,678	2,861
2019	$2,094,991	2,819
2020	$2,284,701	2,779
2021	$2,352,734	2,505
2022	$4,665,739	2,781
2023	$7,233,947	2,772