Arizona announces ‘5980 Fund’ to provide student-athletes with extra academic financial aid

Not every college athlete is on a full scholarship. In fact, in most sports other than football and basketball the number of available scholarships for a team are so few that most players end up getting only partial aid.

Arizona is trying to address that gap with its creation of the “5980 Fund,” which opens the door for student-athletes to get up to $5,980 per year in supplemental academic support.

Per a news release, the 5980 Fund comes as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Alston vs. NCAA case from 2021 that allowed for schools to be able provide academic-related compensation.

“This new academic benefit for our student-athletes is the latest addition to our ongoing commitment to our mission to develop academic, athletic and life champions,” UA athletic director Dave Heeke said in a news release. “Arizona Athletics continues to lead from the front in supporting Wildcats with our championship standard for our student-athlete experience. The establishment of our “5980 Fund” raises our standard by providing additional resources for Wildcat student-athletes’ academic performance.”

UA fans and supporters can contribute to the 5980 fund through the school’s Wildcat Club, as well as through a pair of NLI collectives (Friends of Wilbur & Wilma collective and Arizona Assist Club) through which student-athletes can profit off their name, image and likeness.