What a whirlwind of activity surrounds signing day for college athletic scholarships all in the united states! If it is a huge NCAA program, there is of publicity on signing day. Pictures are snapped as athletes have emerged picking up their pens and signing their letters of intent.

It's a thrilling and fun filled time for the athletes, their parents and friends, their senior school coaches, and the entire local community. The area sports hero has signed with a big time university. The big fish in the little pond has caused it to be to the big leagues.

On the plus side, the athlete, if he has received the full ride scholarship will have all his college expenses paid for if he agrees to play his sport for the college athletic program he has just signed with.

This is a definite boon to the senior school athlete and his family.

They are all thrilled out of these minds. The area media hypes the situation to the max. Friends and distant family all get the news headlines via email or Facebook. Everyone expects the area elite student athlete to function as star athlete for the big university sports program he or she's just signed with.

And, in truth, if everything works out like everyone hopes it'll, the athlete can get to play his sport in college and he may also get a college education. With the economy being what it is today, the full ride athletic scholarship could be the only way some families could afford to send their kid to college.

But, and this is actually the ugly side of college athletic scholarships, imagine if the athlete fails to maintain his grades in college? Or, imagine if he or she gets hurt? Or, imagine if a lady athlete gets pregnant? Or, imagine if the athlete doesn't surpass athletic expectations?

In line with the NCAA, many senior school student athletes and their parents aren't aware that their full ride athletic scholarship is awarded on a year-to-year basis 10 k to miles. Yes, if everything goes right, the athlete can get to play four full years, and he or she will receive a higher education.

But, what goes on to any or all these wonderful plans if a variety of things, some of which we've just mentioned, should happen? In many cases the scholarship won't be awarded for another year.

In some cases, parents will have a way to pay for the remaining athletes education, in quite a few cases there's just no money, and because the athlete has depended on the total ride athletic scholarship so heavily, no other financial aid, like academic scholarships have already been applied for. This might prove devastating to both athletes and their families.