CB Spectrum, an Australian programing and animation school, announced that they would be giving out $500,000 worth of scholarships to future students for the 2016-2017 school year.

With the assistance of developer League of Geeks, CB Spectrum will be granting student access to one of their accredited online diplomas in visual effects, programming, animation, 3D modelling, and composition. The best students will even have a chance to graduate and immediately move into a paid internship with top companies.

Half of the scholarships being offered will be reserved for woman and those that find themselves in an underrepresented population. Co founder Jeff Pepper said that they, “don’t see this as token diversity. We want to see those places filled, and we’re willing to tweak the programme to suit the needs of the communities that want to apply. Being online also means there’s a huge opportunity for rural candidates who may not always have the means to move to cities.”

Later on, Jeff stated that he felt as though internships were a crucial part in breaking through in the industry. “There is a lot of abuse going on in the internship space at the moment, and we’re proud to partner with studios that actively go against that.” This is where League of Geeks comes in; they will be offering three six-month paid internships to those who perform the best in the 2016-2017 school year.

League of Geeks director Blake Mizzi noted that, “Independent studios are doing some of the most creative work in games at the moment. We want the next generation of game developers to be excited about making games in Australia, and to make sure we’re growing our best talent with opportunities here.”

For those wishing to apply, you’ll have until December 14 and will be chosen on their abilities and work previously created.