Good News for Illinois Gamers Who Are College Bound

This Illinois college is looking to give scholarships to students who play video games.

I never thought I'd see the day when a college rewards students for gaming. Since it is a big part of the lives of teens, and the competitions associated can actually make you money, it must have made sense to this college to start including this category.

Illinois College in Jacksonville is offering scholarships beginning this fall for students who play video games, according to the Herald & Review.com. They've even hired a coach to lead the esports participants.

"Christian Matlock has seen the rise for the past half-decade or so, and Illinois College tabbed him as their coach for two teams, essentially a varsity and JV team. The notion of getting paid to play video games may be exciting for some students, but just like any traditional sport, they'll spend plenty of hours practicing and refining their craft. Matlock is taking his job as coach seriously.

While video games have a reputation as a waste of time among some people, he sees them as a way to improve problem-solving and foster teamwork skills."

This is encouraging news for students and parents alike. For those who complain all their child wants to do is play video games, it could land them a scholarship. It's definitely changed my position on video games not helping in college. In fact, it's impressive how these Illinois colleges are coordinating and putting gaming into practical use.

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