West LA Times

Los Angeles County's 41 universities invested $86,579,988 in athletically-related financial aid for college students in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

This is a 5.7% increase compared to the previous year, when the county invested $81,872,725 in college sports aid.

There were 7,654 male and 5,344 female student-athletes who competed for one or more sports teams representing the 41 colleges in the county in 2023. Male students received 36.7% less financial aid on average than female students.

University of Southern California stood out as the university in Los Angeles County which received most of the financial aid during 2023. The institution received $22,455,716, or 25.9% 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	$57,982,577	12,585
2015	$61,023,752	12,513
2016	$67,427,013	12,633
2017	$72,329,849	12,611
2018	$75,858,194	12,875
2019	$78,920,192	12,642
2020	$84,275,266	13,148
2021	$79,422,773	4,693
2022	$81,872,725	12,752
2023	$86,579,988	12,998