PG&E opens annual STEM scholarship program

High school student Dominic Navarro in May 2016 poses with his ceremonial check with, from left, PG&E’s Hailey Wilson, Lynsey Paulo, Jacquelyn Lewis and Brandi Merlo. PG&E

SAN FRANCISCO — High school and college students throughout central and northern California are encouraged to apply for a Better Together STEM Scholarship by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

The program awards a total of $100,000 in scholarships annually to local high school, community college and non-traditional students pursuing higher education in the engineering, computer science, cyber security and environmental sciences.

Scholarship winners will receive $5,000 per year renewable for up to four years.

Students pursuing a degree in one of the following STEM disciplines are eligible: Engineering (electrical, mechanical, computer, industrial or environmental), Computer Science/Information Systems, Cyber Security or Environmental Sciences.

Applicants must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2017-2018 academic year and be pursuing their first postsecondary degree at a PG&E partner school in California.

The deadline to apply for the PG&E Better Together STEM Scholarship is March 31. Scholarship winners will be announced this summer. For more information and to apply, visit pge.com/educationprograms.

PG&E has a long history of supporting local educational initiatives, providing more than $75 million over the last decade. Since 2012, PG&E’s Better Together STEM Scholarship Program has awarded more than $3 million to accomplished students based on a combined demonstration of community leadership, personal triumph, financial need and academic achievement.

In addition to the STEM Scholarship Program, PG&E’s 10 employee resource groups (ERGs) voluntarily raise funds for scholarships to help offset the cost of higher education. In 2016 alone, the ERGs awarded a record $430,000 in scholarships. Since 1989, more than $4.5 million in ERG scholarships have been received by thousands of recipients.

“PG&E is investing in promising students today because they will be the leaders, dreamers and innovators of tomorrow. PG&E is proud to support them and help lay smooth path for them so they can achieve even greater things in their education and careers,” said Travis Kiyota, vice president of community relations and public affairs for PG&E.