Both casual video gamers and competitive gamers may find gaming scholarships to make college affordable. If you want to break into the video game industry, there are many gaming scholarships to help you pay for college. Scholarships may help you turn your hobby into a rewardable skill.
Some gaming scholarships are for people who want to study interactive arts. You need a college degree to work as a multimedia artist. So, you may want to pursue a degree in animation, 3-D graphics, game design and so on. Gaming skills may be another important requirement along with your GPA. This applies to video games scholarships focusing on the creative design behind gaming.
Can I get a scholarship for eSports?
Other options for gamers are eSports scholarships. These are usually for competitive players. Like an athletic scholarship, eligibility may depend on how well you play a specific game and playing at live tournaments.
Unlike taking out a loan, college gaming scholarships do not need to be repaid back. You have to abide by the terms, but don’t have to pay the money back. So, whether your latest obsession is playing a certain video game and you have mad skills. Or you want to study how to develop one, try applying for a scholarship.
Are College Gaming Scholarships Popular?
If you are looking for a gaming scholarship, many colleges offer them. You are likely need excellent player skills. Though other criteria like grades and financial need may be part of the decision process. Varsity scholarships for gaming have been around since 2014. But many more colleges in the U.S. are embracing competitive video gaming. In fact, a growing number of schools are providing video game scholarships.
Ashland University offers $4,000 scholarships as a way to expand their eSports program. Eligible applicants need to be active on Fortnite. Also, other games like League of Legends and Overwatch provide awards to serious gamers.
Other times, the game developers provide esports scholarships. For example, to date TESPA gamers received over $3.3M in scholarships & prizing. They often do this to reward players and teams in their esports programs.
Another provider is the National Association of Collegiate eSports. The NACE reports giving $15 million in eSports scholarships and aid. As of January 2018, over 94% of all varsity esports programs in the U.S. are members of NACE.
List of Gaming Scholarships
Are you a competitive gamer looking for video game scholarships? Do you want to study video game design and need a scholarship to fund you? Check out these gaming scholarships to see how your hobby might pay off.
The Streamgeeks ESports Scholarship is available for students who are currently enrolled in a U.S.-based college or university with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. To apply, students must submit an essay on their experiences with esports and video streaming. The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $1,000.
This scholarship is available for currently enrolled U.S. and international undergraduate and graduate students who have an intention to enter the game industry in some capacity. The student must have a grade point average of 3.3 or higher. Click here to learn more and apply today!
The WomenIn Scholarship is available for female college students starting their second year of study in game development or the business of interactive entertainment. To be eligible, students must have a 3.3 GPA or higher and must be pursuing studies within the video game industry. Click here to learn more and apply today!
The Women in Animation (WIA) Animation Scholarship is open to sophomore to senior women (or those identifying as female) who are full time students at an accredited institute of learning and are majoring in animation. Applicants pursuing many interests including visual development, animation and storyboarding are encouraged to apply.
Certain Affinity is an independent game developer headquartered in Austin, TX. Together with SMU Guildhall they offer the Certain Affinity Nels Memorial Scholarship beginning in 2019 to commemorate the life and work of Nels Nelson and continue his legacy of excellence, generosity, and leadership by supporting talented future game developers.
Becker College, Team Genji and Helix eSports have launched the nation’s first path-to-pro Apex Legends esports scholarship program. Top performing gamers who newly apply, and are admitted, to Becker College will then be eligible to receive a one-time $5,000 scholarship to the school.
The Trapology Aspiring Gaming Scholarship is open to U.S. high school seniors and U.S. undergraduates with a 3.0 average GPA. Applicants must be applying to or currently completing a study related to game design at a recognized university or post-secondary school within the U.S.
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) will offer $16 million in scholarships through NACE partner schools. NACE and Skillshot announced that the Spring 2020 collegiate competition includes both Fortnite and CS:GO with an invitational finals to take place at MomoCon in Atlanta, May 23rd, 2020.
UCI Esports has received a $50,000 endowment to fund an annual scholarship for students involved in gaming and esports. The endowment, which will sit for perpetuity in an investment account and accrue 4-5% annually, ensures one qualified student per year an award-$2,000 and $2,500.
Harrisburg University’s Esports varsity team is HU Storm. The team won ESPN’s inaugural Collegiate Esports Championship in May 2019—became the first college esports program to award full ride scholarships to its entire 16-player roster in 2018.
