Video games may not be as bad for your child as you think, in fact, it may be their ticket into college. The Associated Press has reported that Robert Morris University Illinois, a private Chicago college is beginning to offer scholarships to video game players. The scholarships will go to players who compete in the game League of Legends.
According to USA Today, the university will award up to 50% scholarships for both tuition and room and board. Associate Athletic Director Kurt Melcher praised the merits of the virtual game saying, "League of Legends is a competitive, challenging game which requires significant amount of teamwork to be successful."
Gaming competitions will begin in September, and the school has already begun recruiting players. The school says that it recognizes the validity of “eSports” and wants to recognize students who may have athletic talents in non-physical sports like gaming, according to The Associated Press. This is also not the first time that League of Legends has drawn a large crowd—or brought in the big money. Last October, a $1 million dollar prize was awarded to a team of League of Legends gamers in a competition hosted by the game’s creators.