Video gamer is slowly being recognized as a legitimate occupation. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) and the National Video Game Museum (NVM) have bestowed scholarships to students who will be committing to becoming members of the video game industry — along with schools like the University of California-Irvine integrating a varsity team dedicated to competitive electronic sports (E-sports).
The trend of integrating video games and school is slowly on the rise, with multiple organizations providing students with more options that will equip them with the necessary knowledge to participate in the industry. The AIAS is a non-profit organization that aims to build a better community of video gamers — whether it be for developing, creating or playing video games.
The AIAS will be giving away $2,500 to the recipients of the scholarship, which will be a one-year mentorship program. These scholars will also have the opportunity to attend the 2018 Design, Innovate, Create, Entertain (DICE) Summit where video game developers from around the world gather in Las Vegas, Nevada to focus on the business side of the industry. This free pass will give the scholars a better look at how video games are monetized.
On the E-sports side, the University of California-Irvine just implemented their new varsity program last fall while also providing scholarships to those who show promise and natural talent for competitive gaming. Currently, the varsity program has students playing the widely popular "League of Legends" by Riot Games, and "Overwatch" by Blizzard Entertainment.
The scholarships will cut the student–gamer's tuitions by half, which is a significant decrease and if these students play win competitions, they will be receiving prize money as well.
On the other hand, the NVM will be offering four $1,500 scholarship programs as well, similar to the AIAS. The students will be fulfilling their requirements in the state of Texas. One applicant will be picked from Frisco along with another one from anywhere in Texas, an applicant with a household income of $50,000, and a woman applicant from anywhere in the country. The gender-specific program is an effort to boost diversity within the industry.
