The latest educational trend offers lucrative job opportunities upon graduation. More students are choosing to ride the wave rather than get left behind.
Video Games Has Become a Sport
eSport – team video game competition — is coming to more college campuses, and some schools are treating these digital leagues like traditional sports, complete with recruiting, on-campus arenas, and scholarships to entice students. (Source: NBC News)
eSport Contestants Have Become Celebrities
How hot are eSports events? Tickets for the finals held at the Staples Center and in Madison Square Garden were completely sold out within one ONE hour.
Plenty of Jobs in eSports – Video Games
Many parents do not allow their kids to play video games for prolonged periods of time, citing they believe it’s bad for their eyes, their general health, and that it affects a child’s ability to concentrate. True or not, some parents may reconsider their positions when they learn of substantial scholarships offered to talented gamers. This is in addition to the multitude of lucrative job prospects that await college graduates.
“As the eSport industry continues to grow, jobs are being created. They range from marketers to game makers to league staffers. eSports can offer experiences that reach beyond the games themselves.” – NBC News
The First U.S. University to Recruit Students for eSport
eSports began developing about 20 years ago. Since then sports gaming has changed drastically. Unfortunately, many technically inclined prospective college students remain unaware of the burgeoning job opportunities that exist within this evolving growth industry.
Robert Morris University of Illinois, in 2014, was the first school to actively recruit and entice students for an eSports league with scholarships as if they were college athletes.
Scholarships for eSports
Robert Morris University anticipates about 90 students will join its eSports team and will play for five different titles during 2017-18 academic year. What is the benefit for playing eSports for the school? A varsity scholarship pays for 70 percent of the tuition. The players must maintain a 2.0 grade point average which is a minimum academic excepted performance for college students.
Create Your Edge for the Job Market
According to Statista, from 2014-2016 the U.S. video game industry generated revenue ranging from $500 million to 1 billion per month. Compared with six billion dollars of revenue generated in 2013, the rate of growth for this industry is quite impressive.
Talk about cool! Just imagine yourself majoring in video games, having to play games for homework, and getting a hefty scholarship for your college education on top of it. And imagine life only getting better when you graduate and begin working in an industry specifically catered to your lifestyle. How Cool is That!
Related reading: “College Scholarships for Video Games? It’s Happening,” NBC News, June 20, 2017
How to get this type of scholarships?
Thanks!