Dual Career is a term used to describe student-athletes who are balancing sporting competition and training with full time university studies.
FISU aims to inspire students to perform at their best both on the field of play as well as in their academic pursuits. To do this, FISU is dedicated to enhancing the dual career student-athletes’ experience via undertaking and supporting dual career research, reporting on data from student-athlete surveys and in providing resources and tools for not only student-athletes, but also for National University Sport Federations and universities.
FISU Dual Career Toolkit
How to use this toolkit
This toolkit has been designed to provide assistance to students, National University Sport Federations (NUSFs) and/or universities to develop, plan and execute a Dual Career programme for their student-athletes.
FISU recognises that NUSFs and universities will be at different levels of development when it comes to Dual Career programmes. In some cases, an NUSF or university may have no programme in place yet, in other instances, the programme will already be well advanced.
This toolkit can also help a student-athlete to determine where to find assistance on their campus if no Dual Career programme exists.
The best way to navigate this toolkit is to select what group you belong to from the three above. By selecting your group you will be directed to the menu page for that specific group. Each group has it’s own menu page where you can select the topic that is relevant for you.
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Definitions
Universities often provide scholarships to student-athletes, offering benefits similar to those listed here. Therefore, Dual Career and scholarships are considered similar for this purposes.
Used to describe student athletes that are in the process of undertaking tertiary studies and training for elite sporting competition.
A programme that offers a variety of services to a student-athlete by their university during their time of study. Services assist them in balancing the ability to train and compete whilst completing their academic pursuits. Can also be known as an Elite Athlete Programme, Scholarship Programme, Scholarship Scheme or Assistance Programme.
International University Sports Federation.
Support provided to a student-athlete that is not cash but has a monetary value. Example: a free gym membership. May also be known as in kind support.
National University Sports Federation.
Financial or non financial support provided to a student by a university or another stakeholder.
| A student who is studying at a tertiary institution and who is also playing a sport at a sub elite or elite level. |
Institutional guidelines or practices that create an enabling environment for student-athletes to succeed in both academics and sport. These may include flexible timetables, access to online courses, or alternative assessment methods.
A university recognized for offering specialized support systems that empower student-athletes to excel academically and athletically. These institutions often collaborate with National University Sports Federations (NUSFs) or other key stakeholders to provide comprehensive support.