Roehampton University is offering students £2,000 per year to participate in esports while continuing their studies. This initiative aims to reduce the significant financial stress many university students face.
Thomas Cole, an esports player, stated that universities offering unique scholarships, including those for esports, can positively impact students academically by lessening financial worries. "Uni students being paid to play a game alongside doing their studies, it's definitely cracking," he said. "If it doesn't let the academic side suffer, then I think being offered something like that really spurs on people to be better in gaming."
Tom Allingham, a student money expert from the personal finance site Save the Student, advises students to actively seek out scholarships and understand the financial aid options available at their universities. "Unfortunately, I don't think there is enough awareness on scholarships," Allingham noted. "There is a lot of funding that goes unclaimed because students don't know that they're eligible for it."
Save the Student works to highlight various scholarships and bursaries on its website, emphasizing that additional funding can be secured for a multitude of reasons.
Many students graduate with substantial debt; the average graduate in England leaves university with over £47,500 in debt. Scholarships like Roehampton's offer a means to reduce this debt and provide essential financial support, allowing students to focus more on their academic and gaming pursuits.