ATLANTA, GA. (PRWEB) March 15, 2016
KontrolFreek today announced its groundbreaking 2016 Collegiate eSports Scholarship Program. Created to help members of established, collegiate eSports teams continue their college education, KontrolFreek will distribute $20,000 in scholarships across ten (10) recipients for the 2016/2017 academic year.
This program is the first of its kind, as it’s available to any player, at any school, competing on any game. KontrolFreek’s scholarship is truly differentiated from others currently distributed in the industry because it is not a prize that players can win in a tournament, or a tuition grant given to players by the school. The KontrolFreek Collegiate eSports Scholarship Program is a merit-based award available exclusively to competitors in the collegiate eSports space.
“KontrolFreek has been heavily involved in professional eSports since we were founded seven years ago, and we knew we wanted to give gamers a leg-up as they pursued a higher education,” said Ashish Mistry, President and CEO of KontrolFreek. “eSports is growing quickly, and some of the best and brightest are passionately pursuing it at a college level. When we looked at the financial aid options currently available for collegiate players, we saw a need for a broader, truly merit-based academic scholarship. I am thrilled that KontrolFreek has stepped up to fulfill that need.”
The KontrolFreek Scholarship Program will be administered to students in the U.S. and Canada by Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America. In order to be considered, applicants must prove that they are members of a collegiate eSports team and plan to continue their education for another year. Other considerations include grade point average, extracurricular activities, awards and honors, and personal goals.
eSports has seen rapid growth at the professional level, with a reported 2015 revenue of $325 million worldwide.(1) There has also been a corresponding rise in collegiate eSports activity, including an increase in overall participation, as well as in tournaments and competitions. While collegiate eSports is still in its infancy, it has become very serious and highly competitive. Leagues like University League of Legends, TeSPA and Collegiate Star League are gaining popularity, attracting hundreds of chapters to tournaments and bracket-style competition.
The KontrolFreek Collegiate eSports Scholarship Program is accepting applications now through the May 15, 2016 deadline. For more information on the KontrolFreek Collegiate eSports Scholarship Program, applicants may send inquiries to KontrolFreek(at)ScholarshipAmerica(dot)org. Media inquiries may be sent to PR(at)KontrolFreek(dot)com.
About KontrolFreek - Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, KontrolFreek is a premier performance gaming gear brand that creates innovative gaming products that give players at all levels a competitive advantage. KontrolFreek combines ergonomics and innovative design to deliver improved accuracy, maneuverability and comfort for Xbox and PlayStation gamers.
For more information, visit KontrolFreek.com and follow the company on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
About Scholarship America - For nearly 60 years, Scholarship America has worked directly with students, parents, donors, colleges, businesses and communities to empower people to achieve their educational goals. As the nation’s largest private education support organization, having distributed over $3.1 billion to more than 2 million students, Scholarship America is now working to further engage the private sector to support programs and policies that advance equity in postsecondary education and help students overcome barriers to access, persistence and attainment. More information is available at scholarshipamerica.org.
1. According to data collected by NewZoo, a global market research firm.