This is Part 1 of a 3-part series on how increasing costs are lowering family budgets. However, families of student-athletes are coming up with creative ways to combat those costs.

Lingering pandemic effects not only impact the transfer portal, but families are dealing with higher prices at universities and colleges, which are reducing their family budget, as well as an increase in interest rates are also increasing borrowing rates, that is, again, impacting families budgets. How are student-athletes strategically combating large costs? They are using NIL: Name, Image, and Likeness.

Several student-athletes are getting large payments, but those payments are not happening as significant for most student-athletes. However, creative student-athletes are starting with local businesses and allowing those few $1,000 here or there to impact how much they can contribute towards the cost of education.

So, utilizing Name, Image and Likeness can help offset those costs from universities that are leftover for families and increase their opportunities to stay at the college of their choice.