Rosalind Pena, 18, first made her way onto the rugby field as a flanker during her sophomore year at the Bronx Studio School. “I saw this one tackle happen, and I instantly fell in love,” she said. But it was not until her senior year that she realized the sport could be her ticket to higher education. Two older siblings had gone to college, only to drop out after a semester. Pena’s plans were fuzzy, but then she received a scholarship offer. American International College, a four-year private institution in Springfield, Mass., covered a large part of its $34,000 annual tuition so she could play on its women’s rugby team, which is three years old. Pena, who is completing her freshman year, is majoring in psychology and criminal justice. “Without the money, I probably would have had to go to a community college,” she said. “I love New York, but I don’t want to go back,” she added. “My goal in life is to travel a lot. This marks the beginning of that goal.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/sports/scrumming-for-scholarships.html?_r=2