It might not please your parents, but an eSports scholarship sure sounds like fun! Everyone’s trying to venture into eSports and that includes institutions of higher education like universities. The University of Roehampton will be offering an eSports scholarship, which will be the first of its kind in the UK. It will be worth £1,500 a year and support students undertaking any course at any level. That refers to all undergraduates or postgraduates from within the university.
According to GamesIndustry.biz, a total of ten eSports scholarships will be offered to students enrolling in 2019. Applications can be submitted starting from September 2018. The scholarship requires students to show an aptitude in eSports, as well as demonstrate their commitment to the field while maintaining a good academic standing. More details and information will probably be revealed in the few months. No specific games have been mentioned or confirmed at the time of the writing.
Roehampton University Registrar Mark Ellul said: “This scholarship is about recognizing talent in a field that has a growing popularity both around the world and among our students. The University of Roehampton already has a successful sports programme, underpinned by financial and coaching support for students who excel in their chosen field, and this new scholarship is a natural progression from that as we seek to develop our wider offering in eSports.”
While this will be the first eSports scholarship in the UK, several universities in the US have already had a headstart in offering these scholarships. In May, the University of Berkeley in California announced a collaboration with Riot Games to introduce an eSports scholarship program focusing on League of Legends, as well as an intramural eSports League featuring the MOBA game. In April, Ashland University in Ohio announced that it will begin offering Fortnite as part of its eSports program starting in Fall 2018, including scholarships of up to $4,000 based on player skill and academic requirements.
