Developers are the true rock stars of the video game world. Thanks to them, we have video games that provide us with countless hours of entertainment and work in one of today’s more competitive industries. With the rise in popularity of video gaming, interest in becoming a game developer is also increasing; that’s where scholarships come in.

Luckily, there are many great companies offering their support for students who wish to delve into video game programming and development. Most of these companies offer scholarships based on merits or similar, just what a struggling student needs to pay their debts. While some of these scholarships are awarded to outstanding students, some others are given to promising developers or even talented gamers. We’ll be taking a look at the 5 best video game development scholarships in the US, in no particular order.

Since 2003, Microsoft has hosted the Imagine Cup, a competition where student developers around the world race to develop applications and games using Microsoft technology, primarily Microsoft Azure. The competition is mostly team-based, with the winners earning the chance to acquire up to $50,000 in scholarship money. Participants have to submit their game proposal, the software, and detailed instructions on the development of the game.

Contact
Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition Awards
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
(206) 882-8080
LINK (https://www.imaginecup.com/)

In partnership with the Evo Tournament, the NYU Game Center offers this unique scholarship for dedicated fighting game fans. The scholarship offers $10,000 to two high school seniors or college students; the only condition is that they have to demonstrate promise in pursuing a career in video game development, and have to be involved in the fighting game community. Legendary fighting game champion Daigo Umehara helped the NYU Game Center to establish this exceptional scholarship.

Contact
Evo College Scholarship Award
2 Metrotech Center 8th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(646) 997-0708
Link (https://gamecenter.nyu.edu/evo/)

The animation is a vital component of video game development. To promote a passion for game animation and design in young developers, this scholarship offers $1000 in scholarship money to high schoolers who intend to enroll in a mayor in 3D graphics, graphic design, or other aspects of animation in general. As part of the scholarship’s selection process, interested students have to submit a 1000-word essay detailing a particular aspect of animation. Since one of the requirements for the scholarship is that the student is enrolled in a post-secondary institution, this is not the scholarship for high schoolers interested in entering college for game design.

Contact
Aspiring Animation Professional Scholarship Program
2500 Universal Studios Plaza
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 224-3283
Link (https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/by-major/gaming-scholarships/aspiring-animation-professional-scholarship)

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) awards this scholarship annually to a passionate undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student. The IGDA is the world’s largest nonprofit membership organization that works in favor of all individuals in game development. Earning this scholarship is no easy task, as those who wish to receive it must be members of the IGDA, be already actively involved in the game development community, and attend the Game Developers Conference. This might sound a little out of reach if you’re just getting started in development, but it’s ideal for new developers.

Contact
International Game Developers Association Scholarships
19 Mantua Road
Mt. Royal, NJ 08061
(856) 423-2990
[email protected]
Link (https://igdafoundation.org/scholarships/igda-scholars/#:~:text=The%20IGDA%20Scholars%20Program%20is,the%20%E2%80%9Cbest%20and%20brightest%E2%80%9D.)

The webcomic Penny Arcade is one of gaming’s most well-known comic strips. The video gaming duo behind the comic decided to give back to the community with their own scholarship program, which grants $10,000 annually to an exemplary college student who’s interested in any aspect of the video game industry. Those who wish to apply for this scholarship must be enrolled in an accredited US college, with a minimum GPA of 3.3. This scholarship applies to students in many branches of multimedia, including computer science, video graphics, and game design.

Contact
Penny Arcade Scholarship
520 2nd Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 729-8960
[email protected]
Link (https://www.penny-arcade.com/scholarship/)