Top 10 Esports Scholarships

Which schools offer the best esports scholarships?

1. University of Harrisburg
2. New England College
3. Kansas Wesleyan University
4. Hawaii Pacific University
5. Southwest College
6. Baker College
7. University of California – Irvine
8. Maryville University
9. Stevens College
10. University of Utah

1. University of Harrisburg

The University of Harrisburg is a private university located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Each year, 22 esports players receive a full scholarship including housing. HU has become the first school to offer full scholarships for an esports program. When applying, applicants must complete a regular application along with the esports application. University of Harrisburg applications are automatically evaluated for academic scholarships, but once the university team is formed, their scholarships will be updated. The University of Harrisburg is best known for its esports team “The HU Storm”. The team embodies working together, participation and fierceness. In 2019, they won the “Esports Collegiate Championship” from ESPN. They host one of the biggest esports events called “HUE Invitational” where 64 esports teams compete for a prize of $50,000.

2. New England College

New England College is a private college located in Heinker, New Hampshire. Students who fulfill the academic requirements for esports will receive a scholarship available to them. Scholarships can reach $22,000 and up, depending on the academic achievements and student averages. The esports program at New England College is open to all students and can be an opportunity to learn leadership skills, communication skills, and intent. Since the program is open to all students, it allows them to form relationships with each other, just like any other sport.

NEC has a large variety of games to play including CS: GO, League of Legends, Overwatch, Super Smash Bros, and more. The Esports program works closely with the Game Design and Digital Media program. NEC believes that esports can put students on the path to further professional development. This includes game theory, game design, and other related jobs in the industry. Overall, NEC highly encourages students to pursue their interests in esports and help them develop their skills for future success.

3. Kansas Wesleyan University

Kansas Wesleyan University is a private college located in Salina, Kansas. KWU is a member of the National Collegiate Esports Association. Esports scholarships range from $5,000 to $20,000. The esports team competes in League of Legends, Rocket League, Overwatch, and Hearthstone. But the KWU esports team mainly competes in League of Legends. The esports team has its own room which also includes amenities for games and computers. This room allows students to be part of a conducive environment that hone their gaming skills.

To qualify for their scholarship, applicants must be high school seniors who are experienced players in League of Legends. Players must be rated in a range from Gold to Challenger. Ideal applicants must have a strong work ethic, communication skills and leadership skills. KWU eSports strives to create a home for students who may build meaningful relationships and friendships.

4. Hawaii Pacific University

Hawaii Pacific University is a private university located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Eligible players may earn scholarships worth between $1,000 and $6,000 annually. To be eligible for their scholarship, applicants must submit an application for admission along with the esports scholarship in order to be considered. HPU Esports Scholarships are awarded to students interested in competing in a College League of Legends season and joining their esports team.

The scholarships are for League of Legends student athletes. To accommodate the esports team, HPU has a state-of-the-art esports arena of approximately 3,000 square feet. The Arena has given League of Legends players the opportunity and experience with League Unlocked. League Unlocked has more than 100 skins, additional rewards for players, and unlocks all heroes. Hawaii Pacific University is proud of the multiple scholarship opportunities available to it for its Esports program.

5. Southwest College

Southwestern College is a private college in Winfield, Kansas. They offer grants of up to $5,000 for membership as “competitors” or “participants.” These scholarships are annual and may be renewed. Participants are required to attend all esports events/activities, manage broadcasts, assist in event management, and generally assist in team development. Participants also conduct an analysis of game and player choices along with helping grow esports events. They eventually work to be “competitors”. Competitors get early access to computers and have a vote on purchasing gaming software for the esports center.

All scholarship recipients are required to maintain a GPA of 2.0. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must first submit the application form and be accepted into the university to be considered for “competitor” or “participant” positions. Students may be part of any major considered for the scholarship. Southwestern strives to create a place where students can compete with each other while enjoying video games at the same time.

6. Baker College

Baker College is located in Worcester, Massachusetts. They offer a “Path to Pro Apex Legends” scholarship worth up to $5,000. Becker College has teamed up with Team Genji and Helix Esports to launch this scholarship. In order to be eligible for the scholarship, junior and senior high school seniors must enroll in Team Genji. From there on, players have the chance to improve their chances of getting the scholarship as they will be able to attend the Helix Esports Apex Legends Combine. In this tournament, players will be evaluated by the staff of Becker College and the analytics platform Team Genji. Finalists from the tournament will be encouraged and invited to apply to Baker College. In the event that interested players are unable to attend the tournament or are from the lower tier, signing up for Team Genji will entitle them to any future esports scholarships at Becker College.

7. University of California – Irvine

The University of California, Irvine will award students $2,500 on the Bocmani Scholarship. This scholarship is based on merit and will start in 2022. During a student’s tenure at UC Irvine, there is no limit to the number of times they may receive this scholarship. When applying for the scholarship, students need to submit: their application, an official transcript, and the FAFSA form. As this is a merit scholarship, students will need to have a minimum 3.4 GPA. The scholarship is named after the famous player “Pokimane” who donated $50,000 towards esports scholarships at the University of California, Irvine.

UC Irvine is the first public university to establish an esports program and has been ranked as one of the best in the world for this purpose. UC Irvine also has a Computer Game Science major that complements its burgeoning esports program. UC Irvine pays students to pursue their academic and e-sports projects.

8. Maryville University

Maryville University is a private institution located in St. Louis, Missouri. They have a University of Maryville Esports Participation Award that awards $2,000. Maryville has an esports club that provides players with a fun and competitive environment for online gaming. In order to apply and qualify for this scholarship, applicants must be recent students with a high school diploma. They will also need a minimum 2.5 GPA. Applicants must also be eligible for trials, where they must know how to play: CS: GO, Hearthstone, League of Legends, Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm.

The University of Maryville has proven itself in esports as it is a 3-time National Champion in League of Legends. They have experienced coaches/staff for their teams who dedicate themselves to the teams and player growth in esports. Maryville University provides a fun online gaming environment with the help and guidance of some of the best gamers in the country.

9. Stevens College

Stephens College is a private school for women located in Columbia, Missouri. They are the home of the first women’s esports team. Stevens College is a member of the National Collegiate Esports Association. Students have the chance to receive the “Stevens College Women’s Esports Scholarship” of up to $2,000. When applying to school, these are the requirements: personal statement, FAFSA forms, official transcripts, and essay. Applicants will also be required to submit their ACT/SAT scores along with their preferred gaming roles. There will also be a first-hand experience of being a member of the esports team.

Students must be accepted into the school before they are eligible to apply for the scholarship and be recruited into the team. Overwatch was what initially created the Stephens eSports team. The students were attracted to this game because it represented strong and diverse female leaders.

10. University of Utah

The University of Utah is a public university located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Esports team members will receive an annual scholarship of $1,000. The team competes in games such as Overwatch, League of Legends, Hearthstone, and Rocket League. The team is made up of competitive players who are passionate about games and have developed their skills over the years. The university team competes with club teams across the country and other scholarship programs for esports. The Utah esports program is sponsored by The U’s Entertainment Arts & Engineering video game development program. This program is nationally recognized and ranks as the premier video game design program.

The selection process is to make the university team selective. It was competitive in the past as 200 students tried in the past but only 33 participated in the university team. The students participating in the teams are good individuals and ambassadors for the school.

Instructions