Ohio State’s Jay Johnson Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

Courtesy: OSU Athletics

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jay Johnson, a member of the Ohio State men’s swimming and diving team, has been awarded a postgraduate scholarship by the NCAA.

The NCAA awards postgraduate scholarships annually to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time, non-renewable $10,000 scholarships are awarded three times per year corresponding to each sports season (fall, winter, spring). Johnson was one of 21 male winter sport student-athletes to earn a scholarship.

Johnson has been a standout in the classroom, finishing the spring semester with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. In addition to being an OSU Scholar-Athlete, he earned Second Team CSCAA Scholar All-America, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten Team honors. It was his fourth time receiving OSU Scholar-Athlete recognition, his third time as an Academic All-Big Ten selection and his second time as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.

Johnson has received a postgraduate scholarship from the Big Ten and was one of the Varsity O scholarship recipients. The Varsity O scholarship is awarded to Ohio State student-athletes who are successful in athletics and in the classroom and who demonstrate qualities of positive character and citizenship. Johnson also received the Fergus Memorial Award, which is given to Ohio State student-athletes who, in addition to their academic and athletic achievements, participate in community service and charitable works. Johnson, who earned undergraduate degrees in French and francophone studies and philosophy, politics and economics, has been accepted into the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State to continue his education.

During the 2022-23 season, Johnson competed in eight regular season meets and turned in a career-best time of 20.27 in the 50 free at the Ohio State Winter Invite. He also competed at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship.

The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association’s most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletics and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership are evaluated.  An equitable approach is employed in reviewing an applicant’s nomination form to provide all student-athlete nominees an opportunity to receive the graduate award, regardless of sport, division, gender or race.  In maintaining the highest broad-based standards in the selection process, the program aims to reward those individuals whose dedication and effort are reflective of those characteristics necessary to succeed and thrive through graduate study.