Max Achievement
Scholarship Unlocked
You’ve mastered worlds most players never finish. Now your persistence, strategy, and systems thinking can earn you up to $15,000 a calendar year at USV.
The Scholarship
At the University of Silicon Valley, we believe mastery takes many forms. The Max Achievement Scholarship honors students who have demonstrated exceptional persistence, systems thinking, and creative problem-solving — even in digital worlds. These are the same cognitive skills that fuel innovation, entrepreneurship, and polymathic excellence.
If you’ve earned it in-game, it can count toward your future.
Program Overview
The Max Achievement Scholarship recognizes students who have demonstrated extraordinary mastery, persistence, and systems thinking through the completion of rare and demanding achievements in digital gaming environments. This merit-based scholarship rewards the same qualities that drive academic excellence: disciplined practice, strategic problem-solving, and the pursuit of mastery beyond minimum requirements
Award Structure
Using your benefits at USV is straightforward and supported every step of the way.
Graduate Students:
For master’s or graduate programs, awards are 50% of the undergraduate tier amounts ($2,500 and $1,250 per term).
Renewal Requirements:
Maintain 3.0 GPA and full-time enrollment; renewable for up to 3 trimesters per year.
Stacking Policy:
May be combined with other merit awards; total institutional aid may 1 not exceed cost of attendance. (Does not stack with Esports scholarship)
Compliance Note:
Awards contingent on verified enrollment and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Verification Requirements
All achievements must be verifiable through official public profiles, APIs, or clear screenshots from the applicant’s account. Screenshots must include character name, account ID, and visible completion indicators. If an API or public verification tool is unavailable, the University may request video evidence or live screen verification. Alternate platforms such as Lichess.org (for chess) may be accepted when equivalent data visibility exists.
Custom Achievement Submissions
Students who have completed extraordinary achievements not listed below may submit a Custom Achievement Petition including:
All submissions will be reviewed by a faculty committee for equivalence in rigor and relevance.
Achievement Categories
MMORPGs & Live Service Games
Legendary Tier
Mastery Tier
Completionist & Trophy Hunting
Legendary Tier
Mastery Tier
Roguelikes & Roguelites
Legendary Tier
Mastery Tier
Souls-Likes & Challenging Action Games
Legendary Tier
Mastery Tier
Strategy, Simulation & Analytical Mastery
Legendary Tier
Mastery Tier
Survival, Sandbox & Creation
Legendary Tier
Mastery Tier
Skill-Based Precision Challenges
Legendary Tier
Mastery Tier
Application Requirements
Achievement Verification Package
Standard Application Materials
Mastery Reflection Essay (500–750 words)
Reflect on what your pursuit of mastery taught you about learning, persistence, or problem-solving.
Eligibility
Selection Criteria
Program Philosophy
The Max Achievement Scholarship embodies USV’s mission as the Polymathic University— recognizing mastery wherever it occurs.
Digital gaming environments cultivate the same competencies that drive innovation and leadership:
These are the same traits that define our Polymathic Domains—including Systems Thinking & Engineering, Computational Fluency, and Agentic AI Collaboration. USV believes mastery is mastery—whether expressed through code, art, design, or virtual worlds.