Why students are being paid £2,000 to play computer games

Cameron Dray

As parents across the country prepare to wave their children off to university, conversations about family finances and the cost of living are growing ever more frequent – and fervent.

Yet every year, millions of pounds worth of scholarships and bursary funding goes unclaimed by students – with many unaware the extra help exists.

So roll up the next generation of gamers, who this year can apply for as esports scholarship from the University of Roehampton – with more than 100 handed out so far.

But can the students balance their studies and their esports? And is the scholarship set to catch on?

Esports, meaning electronic sports, is the name for competitive video gaming.

It is different from standard video gaming as esports includes spectators, much like traditional sports.

Gamers compete against one another in high-stakes tournaments for cash prizes and trophies.

What’s the scholarship about?

Roehampton is offering esports scholarships to undergraduate and postgraduate students who show that they can balance academic progress and video-gaming excellence.

“This scholarship is about recognising talent in a field that has a growing popularity both around the world and among our students,” University of Roehampton registrar Mark Ellul said.

Scholars are expected to compete in weekly university tournaments as well as representing the university at in-person events.

Roehampton requires minimum rankings in major games for the scholarship, but will consider applications from those close to the threshold who meet other criteria, such as having large followings on streaming platforms like Twitch.

Former esports scholar Cameron Dray found out about Roehampton through the esports scholarship. Inspired by similar initiatives at American universities, he looked into whether anything similar was on offer in the UK.

Initially, the university was offering just £1,500, but due to the team’s performance and rise in popularity, the amount was raised to £2,000.

“This money was crucial to me as it gave me the opportunity to study in a very expensive city without the need for part-time work,” Dray said.

“There were requirements that came alongside the scholarship, but none that were unexpected or not transparent when applying,” he added.

What to know about student finance

Dray encouraged students to make use of every scholarship, bursary and opportunity available to them.

He said: “Many of these funds are available to more students than they realise, and everyone should be taking full advantage.”

The average graduate in England leaves university with debts of more than £47,500. Scholarships such as Roehampton’s can reduce student debt and provide additional financial support.

Thomas Cole, an esports player nicknamed Pac who specialises in the racing game Trackmania, said universities offering unique scholarships, including esports, encourages students academically by reducing the level of financial stress they might face.

“Uni students being paid to play a game alongside doing their studies, it’s definitely cracking. If I had gone to uni, I would have loved that,” he says.

“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,” he says.

Tom Allingham, student money expert from the Save the Student personal finance site, regularly advises incoming first years to seek out scholarships and learn more about what their university offers.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think there is enough awareness on scholarships,” he said.

“There is a lot of funding that goes unclaimed because students don’t know that they’re eligible for it,” he added.

Save the Student helps share various scholarships and bursaries on their website.

“What we try to get across is you can get extra funding for so many different reasons.”

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