Esports

HSEL Members to Gain Access to New Scholarship Pool

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 02/20/20

Two esports organizations have teamed up to promote a new set of college scholarships for esports players. Students attending schools that belong to the High School Esports League (HSEL) will be eligible for "For the Gamers" scholarships being granted by eFuse. So far, slightly more than $200,000 have been donated, almost all of that by eFuse, which operates a social network for esports and video games. HSEL is a competitive gaming organization for high school esports programs. The company claims 2,400 schools and 70,000 participating students.

Students may win individual scholarships ranging from $500 to $10,000 by joining the eFuse platform. There, they can maintain their gaming portfolios and gain potential access to college esports coaches, professional teams and video game publishers. eFuse company officials said that members can find internship opportunities and attend virtual job fairs, watch original gaming content and receive news coverage about the industry.

Scholarship funds, which can be applied to any college, will be distributed by the Varsity Esports Foundation, the nonprofit arm of HSEL.

Now the various organizations are soliciting for more donations through eFuse's funding site, #FortheGamers.

"Thanks to eFuse, our students will have access to an incredible platform where they can showcase their respective esports careers and make meaningful connections with fellow players, teams and potential employers," said Mason Mullenioux, co-founder and CEO of HSEL, in a statement.

"The #ForTheGamers campaign is our way of investing in the next generation of gamers providing them a pathway to do just that," added eFuse Founder and CEO, Matthew Benson. The partnership "is just the beginning in our journey to lay the groundwork for what is to come, and to begin to get these life-changing opportunities in front of the students," Benson said.