The University of Toronto has founded Canada's first university esports scholarship.

The scholarship will be funded by global equities investor Victor Xin and the school's alumni. 

Xin was an avid StarCraft player while in the Engineering program in 2008 and founded the U of T esports club.

One full-time undergraduate student who has a passion for esports or gaming in Applied Science and Engineering will be awarded with the scholarship.

Students must have a GPA of at least 3.5 to qualify. 

The first award will be awarded in the fall of 2018.

Other universities in North America have also started offering esports scholarships as the sport continues to grow in recognition. Robert Morris University and the University of Pikeville founded their esports scholarships in 2015, while the University of California at Irvine created their award in 2016.