College athletes didn’t need a union to get some nice benefits.

USA Today reports.

College athletes cashing in with millions in new benefits

Two recent changes in NCAA rules are resulting in major-college athletes receiving nearly $160 million a year in additional benefits, a USA TODAY Sports analysis has found.

That figure is certain to rise as more schools implement — or increase their distribution of — athletic scholarships that can cover not only the traditional tuition, room, board, books and fees but also incidental costs of attending college such as transportation and personal expenses.

The enhanced scholarships took effect Aug. 1, following a vote at January’s NCAA convention by school and athlete representatives from the nation’s five wealthiest conferences that allowed, but did not require, all Division I schools to cover athletes’ cost of attendance. In April 2014, the Division I Board of Directors voted to allow schools to provide scholarship and non-scholarship athletes with unlimited meals and snacks.

The changes came against a backdrop of antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA, criticism from several members of Congress about the treatment of athletes, drastic increases in television rights revenues for the elite conferences and skyrocketing spending on facilities and on salaries for prominent coaches, athletics directors, conference commissioners and NCAA executives.