The college experience nowadays is quite different compared to what it used to be 50 years ago. For example, today, students can get help online with their personal statements from an admission essay writing service and improve their acceptance chances. But, of course, technology had a huge impact on that, and despite many innovations that happened in the education system, technology also brought video games among students.

Video games have become extremely popular among many people, not just students. Many of them play thеse kinds of games for fun. Although, the term gamer or gaming is used for people who are more serious about video games. Gamers dedicate much time and energy to their gaming activities and are constantly working to achieve a certain challenging goal. 

Thanks to NCSA, many colleges nowadays implement esports in education and even offer gaming scholarships to students. NCSA stands for National Association of Collegiate eSports and is built on the belief that esports can also create the path to college and live success. NCSA has over 150 member schools from all around the country. In this capacity, NCSA provides all the information students need to be successful in esports, and they work closely with the college esports coaches.

What Games Can You Get an esports Scholarship for?

Many different programs offer scholarships for a variety of popular games, such as:

• First-person shooter: Overwatch, Counter-Strike, Fortnite, PUBG, Paladins. 
• Multiplayer Online Battle arena: Defense of the Ancients or DOTA 2, League of Legends, Smite, Heroes of the Storm. 
• Collectible Card game: Hearthstone 
• Sports games: FIFA, Rocket League, Madden. 
• Real-time strategy: StarCraft II 
• Fighting games: Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter.  

Academic Requirements for College eSports

Esports are more relaxed than traditional sports. Although every school has its own scholarship requirements, a common thing is that gamers need to maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Plus, depending on your university you will still need to write a personal essay, application letter or cover letter to be eligible for enrollment. If you are not that good with writing as you are with the computer, you should use legit essay writing services to increase your chances of getting a scholarship. Moreover, esports scholarships are combined with academic scholarships, so having good grades on writing assignments or good test scores can also be helpful. Knowing what college eSports coaches want from students will help you stand out. 

What to Expect during a College eSports Tryout?

The coaches of the College esports teams use the gaming scholarships to get talented players to visit their campus for a tryout. The gamers are extremely competitive and passionate, so they will even travel from across the world for an opportunity to get a scholarship and the chance to attend a good college. However, like with any other sports, esports scholarships are awarded to the best players. 

The coach will put you into the varsity lineup for more than one scrimmage to test your communication skills and performance in the tryouts. Playing solo is way more different than playing with a team, and tryouts give you the chance to try competing with other players. In the end, coaches measure the quality of the gamers based on three criteria. 

Team Play- Don’t make solo decisions. Always try to support your teammates and stay in your position. Don’t neglect your duties so you can be the hero in the game. 

In-game communication – Always communicate clearly during the game, using accurate callouts and the correct vocabulary for specific locations. 

Attitude – Coaches want someone who offers constructive advice and support from beginning to end. Basically, someone who can be a leader with a desire to grow and someone who owns up to their mistakes and learns a lesson from them.

How much are esports scholarships?

The scholarships are awarded differently in every school. They range from $500 to $8,000 annually. Some schools even offer full-tuition and full-ride scholarships. The first college to award a full-ride scholarship was Harrisburg University, which falls in the best esports colleges among Maryville, Miami (Ohio), Robert Morrison, Utah, California-Irvine, and Ashland University.

How to get an esports scholarship?

A lot of students would like to get a scholarship, especially if they can get it for their favorite hobby. To increase the chances of getting your school paid for, you need to take a serious look at the following steps: 

• Be professional.
• Create Hours of VODs. 
• Compete in live tournaments.
• Train like you have something to prove. 
• Do good research on esports programs.
• Be flexible on your list of schools.
• Guide your competition.
• Understand what the scholarship actually provides.
• Be communicative. If you are not, then take a course or class to build that skill. 

Going after an esports scholarship can be an exciting way to reach your competitive gaming aspiration. However, don’t give up if you don’t get it immediately. Trying hard enough will get you there eventually.