ESA establishes $45,000 scholarship fund

The Entertainment Software Association has established a scholarship fund to aid women and minorities pursuing careers in videogame development.

The Scholarship Program makes available USD 45,000, with full-time students able to apply for a USD 3,000 scholarship until May 15, 2008.

"Positions in our industry are high-paying jobs with a remarkable potential to inspire and entertain millions of Americans," commented Michael Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA. "We hope these scholarships will encourage students to pursue careers in this growing and lucrative field."

"We offer this program to help create our industryâs next generation who will boost the industryâs creative capital with new and unique approaches."

The ESA plans to award 15 such scholarships for the 2008/2009 academic year, with the fund available to those on four-year courses supporting videogame development, including graphic design, computer science, animation, programming, digital entertainment and software engineering.