Play Fortnite, Get a College Esports Scholarship

If you are in Ohio, or were thinking about attending college in the area, you might consider Ashland University. Moreso if you are a fan of vying for that Victory Royale in Epic Games' Fortnite because the college is offering full scholarships for those looking to get into esports.

The institution officially announced that they are adding the popular free-to-play Battle Royale game to their esports program, stating that it "will be the first known collegiate Esports program in the country" to have the Party Bus included in their roster.

"Fortnite appeals to both the core and casual gaming audience," head coach Josh Buchanan mentioned in his statement. "We're excited to provide this platform for gamers who want to showcase their skills in a more competitive space. Fortnite facilitates an environment that allows players to get creative, innovate and show off their mastery of their skills."

The college is currently setting it up for the competition to begin next Fall for four-player teams to "git gud" and qualify for this opportunity. The coach stated that they are getting everything in working order in hopes that they can set up for official Fortnite competitions, "The growth of Fortnite has been astounding to witness and getting players into structured practices ahead of the launch of a collegiate league will be extremely beneficial to our program."

The esports program is offering scholarships in esports for up to $4,000 based on player skill level and academic requirements. For those interested in checking out this chance themselves, check out the form linked here to fill out your information for Coach Buchanan to review.

This is an amazing opportunity, especially with the online game breaking records left and right with concurrent players. Being free-to-play also makes the deal even sweeter, because there's nothing to lose.

It's truly a testament to how much the gaming community, and industry, has grown through the years. As something that was once painted "lazy" and "violent" in the media, it's now seen with a level of respect for educational opportunities such as this, as well as other societal contributions such as issue awareness and charity streams. Keep being amazing, gamers, and don't let this latest opportunity pass you by if you're interested!