IGDA Scholarships

The IGDA is proud to announce the expansion of its scholar program! This year, we are offering scholarships to SXSW Interactive, PAX East and Develop Brighton in addition to GDC, E3, IGDA Summit + Casual Connect and China Joy. Scholarships can include industry mentorship, studio tours, all-access to participating events and more!

The Application Deadlines are listed below.

Thanks to our Sponsors who make this wonderful event possible!

Qualifications & Scholarship Details

• You are eligible for a scholarship if your application and corresponding event is in before the cutoff date listed above.
• Only full-time Ph. D, Graduate, or Undergraduate (or similar) students are eligible, and must be 18 years of age or older as of the date of the event.
• Applicant must be an IGDA Member in good standing. If you are not currently an IGDA Member, you must join the IGDA before applying for the scholarship. All applications will be verified.
• Students are responsible for all travel arrangements, housing and other related costs.
• Scholarship applications will be judged by a panel of game industry professionals.
• Each scholarship recipient will be paired with an industry mentor.
• Scholarship recipients will participate in a local studio visit and orientation session.
• Each scholarship recipient will receive a free pass to the participating event.

Judging Criteria

To help students hone their applications and to better understand what the judges are looking for, here's the basic criteria that judges will use to rate applicants:

1. Relevance - Will attending the event help the student achieve his or her specific educational and/or career goals?
2. Initiative - Has the student demonstrated continued dedication to game development and effort to his or her education?
3. Engagement - Has the student demonstrated a breadth of activity and volunteerism within his or her community?
4. Communication - Are the ideas expressed in the essays communicated effectively and efficiently?