Wichita State goes all-in on cost of attendance to keep up with recruiting

For Wichita State, cost of attendance is a necessary expense if it wants to compete with schools in higher-profile conferences.

WSU provides cost of attendance for each of its 15 sports at a total cost of around $500,000, according to senior associate athletic director Becky Endicott. Athletes are allowed to spend that money on whatever they choose — travel, food, entertainment, etc.

“That comes up with recruits — ‘Are you giving the full cost of attendance?’” Endicott said. “Even though it was a large expense for us, I think it was really good for our coaches’ recruiting. They can walk in and recruit against anybody.”

Volleyball coach Chris Lamb suspects most of the athletes he recruits assume WSU offers cost of attendance, perhaps because schools WSU is recruiting against typically offer it, as well. Even if the issue isn’t raised, he is happy to provide that asset as part of his pitch.

“I haven’t found myself having to deal with that question often yet,” he said. “I think it’s going there quickly. I’m very impressed that Wichita State has found a way to do it.”

All WSU athletes receive a cost of attendance check. Athletes on full scholarships receive a check for around $300-$400 monthly. Athletes on partial scholarships, depending on the amount of their scholarship, receive less. Walk-ons do not receive cost of attendance checks.

The money comes from Wichita State’s Shocker Athletic Scholarship Organization, the fund-raising wing of the athletic department that focuses on scholarships for all sports.

WSU’s full-scholarship sports are men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and women’s tennis. Baseball, softball, track and field, men’s tennis and women’s and men’s golf are allowed to divide scholarships among athletes. For example, baseball coach Todd Butler divides 11.7 scholarships among 28 athletes.

For softball coach Kristi Bredbenner, who rarely hands out a full scholarship, cost of attendance allows her to stretch out her 12 scholarships. It helps her compete with high-profile schools for pitchers and power hitters, the two types of players who command big scholarships.

“We’re recruiting some pretty good prospects,” she said. “To compete against the Big 12, Big 10, SEC — those are kids I have to give cost of attendance to. We’re going to have to, to match up with those schools.”

In the Missouri Valley Conference, cost of attendance is another dividing line between the conference’s wealthier schools and those with smaller budgets. WSU, which doesn’t have the expense of football and benefits from an enormously popular men’s basketball team, sits atop that heap. No other MVC school funds cost of attendance for all sports.

All MVC schools provide cost of attendance for men’s and women’s basketball. Northern Iowa also provides it for volleyball; Missouri State is adding volleyball and baseball for 2016-17.

“It’s provided additional resources for our student-athletes,” Endicott said. “That was the purpose of it. If we’re not going to pay them, let’s give them some spending money. They can still have enough money that if they want to go home, they can go home.”

This story was originally published June 25, 2016 at 10:05 PM with the headline "Wichita State goes all-in on cost of attendance to keep up with recruiting."