Financial Aid Changes Game as Ivy Sports Teams Flourish Ivy League schools are landing more top athletic recruits - particularly from middle-class backgrounds - due to revamped financial aid policies.
Some more coverage: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/sports/benefits-and-complications-in-ivy-league-recruiting.html "Because the improved financial aid packages are available to all students, there is no limit to the number awarded on a given team, unlike athletic scholarships, which are regulated with specific maximums set by the N.C.A.A. Ivy League-recruited athletes, however, must meet admission standards significantly more stringent than the rudimentary eligibility standards established by the N.C.A.A — as well as academic guidelines tied to individual fields of study."