If you’ve ever wanted to launch a glistening esports career alongside your university studies, you’re in luck. The University of Roehampton has launched the UK’s first ever esports scholarship, awarded to talented students who show a clear interest in the growing esports industry.
Applications for the scholarship, which is worth £1,500 a year, open in September, and will be awarded to ten undergraduate or postgraduate students enrolling in 2019. The scholarship forms part of the Sports Roehampton Scholarship programme, which offers students £500 – £1,500 to those who compete at a national or international level, so it’s clear the University is taking the esports market seriously.
There’s quite a few esport titles on our list of the best multiplayer games.
And although Roehampton doesn’t have an esports team yet, there are ambitions to set one up, and scholars will be expected to give it their all in the National Student Esports competition.
We’re not quite sure what games will be played just yet, but traditionally university esports tend to field teams for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Hearthstone and Overwatch matches.
Mark Ellul, registrar at the University of Roehampton, says in a press release: “This scholarship is about recognising 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.”
This is certainly a step in the right direction for the UK esports scene, which arguably has been lagging behind other nations in finding and developing young talent and bringing them through the ranks.