7 Best eSports Scholarships for Gamers

What’s Covered:

• Can You Really Get a Scholarship for Gaming?
• Scholarships for Gaming and eSports
• Colleges with eSports and Gaming Scholarships

Colleges and universities across the nation are taking notice of the growing interest in eSports—by 2023, the eSports market is on pace to exceed $1.5 billion. One of the most notable ways schools are adapting to the rise of eSports is by creating teams and allocating scholarships to the field. 

Interested in an eSports scholarship? Keep reading to learn about the ways you can turn your interest in video games into money for college. 

Can You Really Get a Scholarship for Gaming?

Gaming scholarships are a reality. In 2014, Robert Morris University Illinois (now known as Roosevelt University) became the first university to offer an eSports scholarship when it offered recruited League of Legends players gaming scholarships to cover up to 50% of tuition and 50% of room and board. Just a few years later, Harrisburg University became the first college to award full-ride scholarships to its entire 16-player eSports roster. 

Today, 175 colleges and universities are members of the National Association of Collegiate ESports (NACE) and offer varsity eSports, although gaming scholarships are generally awarded for players of just a few select games: 

• League of Legends
• Super Smash Bros. 
• Hearthstone
• Overwatch
• Rainbow Six
• Rocket League

Funding for eSports scholarships, and the number of them awarded, vary from institution to institution. Like other competitive college programs, the largest eSports scholarships are tough to win and awarded to the best players. Earning an eSports scholarship is similar to the path taken by more traditional college athletes: high-profile recruits will have won or placed highly at major tournaments while less-known gamers will need to draw attention to themselves by reaching out to coaches or performing well at a tryout. 

Scholarships for Gaming and eSports

1. AIAS Foundation Scholarship 

Amount: N/A

Deadline: May 2022

Eligibility: 

• Full-time undergraduate or graduate student attending accredited colleges
• Minimum 3.3 GPA
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident 

Application Requirements:

• Personal statement (two-page maximum)
• Two letters of recommendation 
• Transcript
• Proof of enrollment

These scholarships are awarded to aspiring college game makers by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS). The intention of the scholarship is to support undergraduate and graduate students planning on careers in the field of video games in either development or leadership roles. 

2. WomenIn Scholarship

Amount: N/A

Deadline: May 2022

Eligibility: 

• Full-time undergraduate or graduate student attending accredited colleges
• Minimum 3.3 GPA
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident 

Application Requirements:

• Personal statement (two-page maximum)
• Two letters of recommendation 
• Transcript
• Proof of enrollment

These scholarships are intended to help attract, retain, and advance women in the fields of game development and interactive entertainment. Supported by technology giant Intel, these scholarships provide support to female students with scholarships as well as mentoring programs. 

3. ESA Foundation Computer and Video Game Arts and Sciences Scholarship

Amount: N/A

Deadline: March 2022

Eligibility: 

• Woman or minority
• Pursuing a degree leading to a career in computer and video game arts and sciences
• High school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors 
• Enrolled or planning on enrolling in an accredited four-year college or university 
• U.S. citizen 

Application Requirements: Transcript and FAFSA

Established by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Foundation, this scholarship supports underrepresented young people in following their dreams of a career in the video game industry. In addition to monetary support, the Foundation also provides recipients with career-boosting opportunities such as networking and mentoring sessions, as well as access to industry events. 

4. AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships 

Amount: Up to $5,000

Deadline: April 2022

Eligibility: 

• Minimum 2.0 GPA 
• Undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a degree in graphic design, illustration, or photography 
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Attending or planning to attend an accredited college full time 

Application Requirements:

• FAFSA 
• Official transcript 
• Portfolio of work 
• Written statement
• Two letters of recommendation 

Awarded to underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students studying photography, illustration, or graphic design, the AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships is intended to increase diversity in the creative professions. The award encourages social responsibility, environmental consciousness, and cultural awareness, and recipients are chosen based on a combination of their financial need, talent, and commitment to give back to the community through their work. 

5. IGDA Foundation Scholars

Amount: N/A

Deadline: June 2021

Eligibility: 

• At least 18 years of age
• Identify as a person from an underrepresented background, which may include but is not limited to LGBTQIA+, people of color, people with accessibility needs, marginalized genders, veterans, and neurodiversity
• Pursuing a degree an accredited institution  

Not a traditional scholarship, IGDA Foundation Scholars do not receive a monetary award, though there are a bunch of benefits to this excellent program—most notably an all-access pass to the Game Developers Conference (GDC). One of the most prestigious awards in game development, honorees also receive one-on-one personalized mentorship, lectures from industry leaders, invitations to networking events, and application and portfolio reviews. 

6. Dotcom-Monitor Women in Computing Scholarship 

Amount: $1,000

Deadline: June 2021

Eligibility:

• Full-time, female undergraduates enrolled at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Canada
• Declared a major or completed at least a year of computer science or computer engineering coursework 

Application Requirements:

• Transcript 
• Major declaration or enrollment verification 
• Essay (maximum 500 words)

The Dotcom-Monitor Women in Computing is designed to encourage and support female undergraduates with an interest in pursuing a career in computing. Only one winner is chosen per year, and payments are disbursed directly to them. Recipients must spend the award on tuition, fees, books, academic supplies, and other equipment related to, or required for, the student’s classes. 

7. The Change The Game Design Challenge

Deadline: April 2022

Eligibility:

• Between 13 and 18 years of age
• U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada

Application Requirements: 

• A written statement answering one of two prompts:
  • Why are you passionate about game making? 
  • What change do you want to see in the future of the video/mobile gaming industry?

Google challenges young creatives to submit their best video game ideas—from game description to storyline to inspiration. Google will select 100 entrants to participate in a week-long workshop, gain access to a valuable mentorship, and receive a prize box containing a Chromebook. 

8. CollegeVine Scholarships

Amount: Up to $500

Deadline: Weekly

Eligibility: High school student and US resident

Application Requirements: Create a free CollegeVine account 

CollegeVine scholarships aren’t gaming-specific, but they are a great way to win money for college—every week, we award scholarships up to $500. To become eligible to win, all you have to do is join our free admissions platform and earn karma, the free CollegeVine “currency.” You can earn karma by reviewing essays through our Peer Review tool and answering questions in our Community Forums. After earning that karma, you bid it to enter the scholarship drawing (if you don’t win, your karma will be returned so you can “spend” it on essay reviews and expert advice). Awards will be paid out directly to students to help them cover any educational costs. 

Learn more about the CollegeVine scholarships.

Colleges with eSports and Gaming Scholarships

In addition to the numerous scholarships and prizes available to students with an interest in pursuing a career in video games, many colleges offer eSports athletes gaming scholarships. 

Interested in learning your odds of acceptance at one of these game-friendly colleges? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing engine uses factors like GPA, standardized test scores, and extracurricular activities—such as participation in eSports—to estimate your chances of admission at over 600 colleges and universities.