NCAA president to unveil stipend plan for athletes

Mar 29, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; NCAA president Mark Emmert speaks at a press conference in preparation for the 2012 Final Four of the division I men

NCAA president Mark Emmert is set to unveil an updated stipend plan to the board of directors in April.

Emmert last year proposed a plan to give athletes a $2,000 stipend “to cover expenses a traditional scholarship won’t,” but his plan was rejected by more than 160 schools despite approval of the proposal by the board of directors.

The new proposal would include a “need-based component.”

From CBS Sports:

"Among the plan’s options, according to Emmert:Athletes applying for money through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.Giving universities or conferences discretion over how funds are allocated.Calculating stipend payments based on family contributions."

Once approved by the board of directors, a 60-way window opens for schools to request an override and if more than 75 schools request the override (like the last proposal), the plan would be sent back to the NCAA for reconsideration. If less than 75 schools override the proposal, the plan is voted on by all Division I schools.

A need-based plan can be seen as glorified financial aid, especially when nearly 20 percent of NCAA student-athletes already receive a Pell Grant, a federal program that gives students in need up to $5,500.

It’s no doubt a touchy subject — some schools can afford the stipend and others like the current system.

“With talking about stipends they may receive, people need to start talking about the investment institutions make — tuition dollars, support, all the things we do for student-athletes,” said UConn athletics director Warde Manuel to CBS Sports.

The NCAA Convention starts Jan. 16 in Dallas.