One dream for a college bound athlete is the promise of a full-ride scholarship. That dream was almost crushed by the NCAA this week, but the policy of multiyear scholarships remains.

Multiyear scholarship legislation, one of several measures the Division I Board of Directors adopted in the wake of an August 2011 presidential retreat, was upheld in a membership override vote that concluded Friday.

As such, Division I schools will have the option to offer scholarships guaranteed for more than one year. This bodes well for athletes and athletic programs alike, as some athletes might not be able to attend college without multiyear financial help from their schools.

Of 330 institutions voting, 62.12% percent voted to override the legislation. A 62.5% majority of those voting was required to override legislation. More than 90% of Division I institutions voted.

“I am pleased that student-athletes will continue to benefit from the ability of institutions to offer athletics aid for more than one year, but it’s clear that there are significant portions of the membership with legitimate concerns,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a press release. “As we continue to examine implementation of the rule, we want to work with the membership to address those concerns.”

The Board of Directors also is discussing, based on membership feedback, adjustments to the miscellaneous expense allowance. That legislation, also adopted last fall by the Board, would have allowed schools to award up to an additional $2,000 of athletics aid to students already receiving a full scholarship.