North American esports organisation Version1 has announced its sponsorship of a scholarship programme for students of Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs).
The programme, created through Version1’s partnership with non-profit esports body Cxmmunity, will award a total of $25,000 (~£19,900) in scholarship money for the upcoming academic school year.
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Version1 and Cxmmunity first launched the scholarship programme last academic year. The programme aims to offer opportunities to cultivate future generations of talent in the games industry, and improve representation amongst people of colour in the gaming industry.
Version1 is contributing $20,000 to scholarship funding, which will be split between four successful students based on their applications. The remaining $5,000 will be awarded as prize money to top-placing teams in an esports tournament for students competing in Cxmmunity’s HBCU Esports League.
Undergraduate students from any year attending an HBCU institution during the 2022-2023 academic year can apply for the scholarship. This is an expansion over last year, which was previously restricted to second and third-year students.
Version1 said eligibility for the academic scholarships is broad and applicants can be studying any major. In order to apply, candidates are required to demonstrate a passion for gaming, and/or prove how their pursuit of a college degree would support a career in gaming or esports.
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Applications are open now through September 30th on the Version1 website, with successful recipients notified in October 2022.
Esports Insider says: It’s great to see Version1 and Cxmmunity renewing their scholarship programme, which debuted last year. Offering scholarship opportunities to HBCU students is a valuable and authentic way to support the development and diversity of the esports industry.