Here is OHIO Universities official policy on injuries, and there are many things the athlete and the parent must due to ensure bills are paid. Policy clearly outlines, responsibilities and procedures.

The student athlete handbook:
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ohio/genrel/auto_pdf/...

Athletic Insurance Procedures
Please read the following information regarding athletic insurance and medical billing procedures. You must follow all instructions
below before Ohio Athletics will act toward paying any balances. Please save this information for future reference.
When an athletic injury occurs, it will be evaluated by the Ohio Athletics Medical Staff including the Athletic Training Staff and ICA Team Physician(s). The athlete may be referred to medical specialists. Should the athlete require hospitalization or surgery, you will be notified as soon as possible. There are many medical providers who may be billing for the services provided. Examples include hospi- tal, physician/surgeon, anesthesia, emergency room, radiology (X-ray/MRI), physical therapy, and others. The following are specific instructions for Ohio University’s athletic insurance procedures:
1. An annual insurance information form must be provided by the Athletics Department must be completed for every student- athlete before they are permitted to practice. The Athletics Department will not be held responsible in the event an athlete or parent does not notify or indicate changes within their insurance coverage. When returning the completed and signed insurance information form, parents are requested to submit a photocopy of all insurance cards (including dental, prescrip- tion) provided by the insurance carrier. This is requested to eliminate confusion in billing and expedite authorization for medical services for the student-athlete.
2. All medical bills, including athletic-related, are initially filed with the student-athlete’s primary insurance coverage.
3. The primary insurance will issue an explanation of benefits (EOB) stating payment or denial of charges. You must forward
a copy of the EOB and medical bill to the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Services. Ohio University’s ath-
letic insurance policy requires an EOB for each and every separate medical bill.
4. Compliance in sending the EOBs to Ohio University is necessary before any balance due charges will be paid.
The Athletics Department will assist by sending the parents of the student-athlete a letter indicating need for specific in- formation, i.e. which EOBs and/or medical bills Ohio University needs for insurance processing.
6. Charges that are not paid by the primary insurance will then be considered by Ohio University’s athletic insurance.
7. Once Ohio University’s athletic insurance receives all pertinent information, payment will then be processed. This process
can take up to 4-6 weeks. This process, however, is not perfect. There are instances where delays in payment have ex- ceeded 6 months. Generally, the most common reason for holdup in payment is due to delays to send EOBs and/or medi- cal bills to the Athletics Department.
8. It is common procedures for a medical billing office to automatically bill you once a month, once a semester, etc. until the bill is paid in full. Often, Ohio University Athletics does not receive notification of outstanding bills from the medical pro- vider directly. You should send a copy of the statement or call the contact people listed below.
9. Student-athletes/parents have one year to turn in medical bills. Ohio University and its insurance carrier (Summit Ameri- ca) will not be responsible for bills older than 12 months from the date of occurrence.
10. Failure to comply with all insurance procedures releases Ohio University from any financial responsibility.

This is a false litmus test. These athletes can go directly to the NFL. If the NFL won't have them, how is that on the NCAA? If you have evidence of collusion, prove it. 

Someone else pointed out Arena league, but I've seen no refute to that as a viable alternative. There's also Canadian league, european league, etc.

So I'm clear: The NFL is restricting 18-21 year old's on the grounds that they're looking out for their health and safety. The same NFL that covered up CTE test results and founded a loosely credentialed medical publication to further their own interests on the issue? The same NFL that doesn't offer it's player union longterm medical benefits and fights tooth and nail to pretend there's no link between football and dementia, depression, and a number of other serious brain diseases?

I'm gonna go ahead and say that it's not an unreasonable conclusion to draw that the NFL's age restriction policy, like pretty much every other policy that holiest of non profit organization's has, is financially motivated. Maybe, just maybe, they don't want to be on the hook for a minor league system? Maybe they realize just how beneficial it is to them to have a completely free minor league system?

But I know, I know. I have to prove they colluded, and I can't, so therefore the system is fine and these kids need to just suck it up and realize how great they have it. After all, they're getting a portion of an education for free, and some of them are even allowed to pick their own majors and enroll in classes that interest them and provided they perform well on the field, they get to attend those classes long enough to get a degree, and if their four years of competing in athletics doesn't include to many repeated, minor blows too the head, maybe they'll even remember some of what they learned when they're 50.

These kids choose to be exploited. I get it. And because a bunch of 17 year olds are making a choice to be exploited, me and you can feel absolutely fine about supporting the exploiters.

And now, just so I'M clear, do you support NCAA football? As a fan? Or is this just your little crusade against football in particular? Because if so, your whole argument is a bit of a ruse, isn't it? You don't really care about union representation as much as you care about outlawing football altogether? 

You know, I just want to be clear on your intentions.

Because I'm left wondering how the union will reduce the impact of concussions? Will they invent a better helmet? Will they outlaw helmets altogether? Or, more likely, will they impose requirements against the NCAA that ANY head injury will be immediately litigated by the union's legal team. Ultimately, this will sink the ability for most colleges to field a team at all, thereby ending college football as we now know it.

I would imagine it would be no different than a work-study or other on-campus job. I had one, under the terms of which I was required to maintain a certain GPA or I would lose my job. Also, I was working 10 hours per week. I would not be a full-time employee entitled to insurance under that scenario. But football players are putting in more than 30 hours per week during season, which would classify them as full-time employees and entitle them to coverage under the ACA....IF they are "employees". That's the million dollar question.

And if they are employees, wouldn't their compensation (depending on the circumstances: tuition, room, board, meals, books, stipend, etc.) be taxable income for them or their parents?

...especially one where all but a handful of the "businesses" in that industry lose money?

As I said, it will be interesting to see where this leads. I tend to think that the football players who signed the union cards are pawns in a bigger game, though I'm not clear what game, but I think that, as the situation progresses, it may become easier to see. Is the goal just to provide publicity and new revenue to the steelworker's union? Is it just another form of attack on football itself, with the ultimate goal of eliminating football? Is it because some powers-that-be resent the football scholarships as a form of affirmative action that actually works, and moves a fair number of people from poverty backgrounds into post-college jobs, and they would rather see them just get money instead, which most would squander? It is a long term strategy to boost the chances of success on lawsuits over head injuries by establishing that the players are employees? Or is it really about improving the lot for college athletes?

I would think so. And even if they aren't employees, any amount of scholarships exceeding tuition (and maybe room and board......I'm trying to remember 10 years ago, as I was fortunate enough to have a full in-state tuition scholly plus a little extra) is taxable. A stated goal of this unionization push is increasing scholarships beyond tuition to full cost of attendance. Kain Colter may have just opened Pandora's box.

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but if this were to happen someday (and I hope it doesnt) I think a possible solution would be to put the money away for these kids for future use. In other words, an investment or sort of trust fund. They can't cash out until they either graduate or get injured and can't play anymore. I'm not sure if you should give it to those kids that leave early. You invested in them with a scholarship, so they should (or could) reciprocate by finishing school and graduating.

However, any money that is made from their image, likeness, jersey, promotion, postseason awards, etc., gets thrown into the pot. Obviously, every athlete starts out at the same level. This way, you can't blame the school for not paying all the athletes the same amount. The school and/or athletic department can start every athlete with a generic stipend of say $5,000, or whatever. Anything that is put into that pot after that is solely based on the athlete's performance and own contributions to the investment. 

Win a MAC title? Here's another $1,000.

Oh your jersey sold 500 units this year, here's another $5,000.

NCAA berth? Here's a couple thousand.

It also adds a sort of incentive to the player: hey, if I play better (in my individual sport or team sport) I'll get paid more later on.

The best part about putting into this type of investment fund is that the money can grow without them even putting anymore in.

I guess the long and short is that it's almost like setting up a 401(k) or 403(b), but the turnaround time is 1-6 years instead of 40-50 years, depending on what happens to the athlete.

And really, who are most of the complaints coming from anyways? The revenue generating sports. They'll also be the most likely to contribute more money to their own plans. The wrestler or the field hockey player can't complain to anyone because they all started out the same. The players, university and athletic department can't help which sport is more popular than the other.

ESPN, ABC, NBC, Bowl organizations, merchandisers, bars, restaurants. Lots of people make money from the hard work of "amateur" athletes.

Of course I'm speculating. Every comment on this thread is speculation, because this is uncharted territory. No one knows how it will play out.

Are student-athletes not currently required to maintain a minimum GPA? Of course they are. And some do and some don't. Those that don't do not remain student-athletes. Being a "full-time employee" under the ACA doesn't mean you have to work more hours by law--the status of "full-time employee" is a function of the number of hours worked.

It may be that the union tries to limit the number of hours players are required to "work" in an effort to reduce injuries. That's what the NFLPA did in their last contract negotiation. And that then might have an impact on "full-time employee" status for ACA purposes (it would actually create a catch-22.....you want to work more to get health insurance, but you don't want to work more because that increases the likelihood of injury).

But saying that a student-athlete that is determined to be a "full-time employee" under the ACA is less able to maintain a certain GPA than a student-athlete under the current system? I don't think that's true.

Also I would think there would be FICA, Medicare, SUTA, and FUTA taxes as well.

I didn't say that. My only point is that the the "employee" tag will change nearly everything. I don't think we disagree on that.