Sponsors and Partners

Brand New Partnership for the ESFA in 20/21

The English Schools’ Football Association is delighted to announce their new partnership with FirstPoint USA – the official scholarship partner of the ESFA.

FirstPoint USA, the world’s leading US sports scholarship & university admissions agency, will be working with the ESFA to promote the incredible opportunities available for ESFA Schools’ Cup players in America.

The partnership, which has officially launched as of September 2020, will run for an initial three years and during this time both the ESFA and FirstPoint USA hope to be able to share the successes of their current scholarship students and promote the exciting possibilities that will open up to ESFA players through this new and engaging relationship.

Andrea Chilton, ESFA CEO said “On behalf of the ESFA, I am delighted to announce this partnership with FirstPoint USA. The opportunities available to young players through a scholarship provider like FirstPoint are countless and truly exciting. We are very much looking forward to following some of the journeys that our own schools’ cup players go on and sharing experiences of accomplished scholars with our Member Schools and Associations.”

Since 2001, FirstPoint has provided life-changing athlete-scholar opportunities in the USA for upwards of 60,000 young people, securing more than $200m in scholarship funding during that time. The official scholarship agency of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), FirstPoint works in partnership with 2,500+ of the best colleges and universities in the States.

Andrew Kean, FirstPoint USA CEO, said: “This is a significant partnership for FirstPoint USA and for English youth football in establishing a clear and alternative pathway for hundreds of thousands of young players. The partnership will showcase both the sporting and educational opportunities available in the US, helping inform not only the young people but also parents, coaches, teachers and faculty staff. “We look forward to developing a successful working relationship together and adding value to the brilliant work already being delivered by the ESFA at a pivotal stage of each young player’s sporting journey.” 

More information on FirstPoint USA and how you can get involved with their scholarship programmes or find out more will be emailed directly to schools in the coming days, however in the meantime, please head over to their website for more information and to contact FirstPoint directly to discuss options that are available for you.