Sony Online Entertainment is now accepting applications for the 2014 G.I.R.L. scholarship! Check out the full press release after the jump.

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is now accepting applications and submissions for its 2014 Gamers In Real Life (G.I.R.L.) Game Design Competition. Through the G.I.R.L. scholarship program, SOE will award one winner with a $10,000 scholarship to be applied towards tuition, room and board, and other educational expenses at the winner's college or university. In addition to the cash prize, the winner will also be given the opportunity to be hired as a paid intern for up to 10 weeks at SOE's headquarters in San Diego for hands-on experience working on award-winning franchises, including PlanetSide® and EverQuest®.

Now in its seventh year, the scholarship has played a major role with helping aspiring game developers gain knowledge and skills in the video game design field, while providing them with valuable assistance for educational expenses. Past winners have gone on to make their own impact across the gaming and art industries.

"The G.I.R.L. Scholarship aims to be the first step towards empowering bright careers for young women in the video game industry," said Laura Naviaux, Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "By helping to create more opportunities for women in game design, we are helping to shepherd fresh perspectives and new ideas into our industry."

Submissions for the 2014 G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition will close on March 19, 2014. To apply, applicants must register with Scholarship America®, SOE's scholarship administrator, and submit their application for evaluation, as directed here: https://www.scholarsapply.org/gamersinreallife.

For more information about G.I.R.L., please visit www.girl.soe.com. To follow G.I.R.L. on Twitter, go to https://twitter.com/SOE_GIRL or to join G.I.R.L. on Facebook, go to http://tinyurl.com/SOE-GIRL.