PG&E Encourages Northern and Central California Students Focused on STEM Education to Apply for College Scholarships of Up to $10,000

PG&E’s Employee Resource/Engineering Groups Also Offering College Scholarships for Combined Total of $500,000 to be Awarded

By Tracy Correa Lopez

The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) is inviting applicants for its annual Better Together STEM Scholarship Program for students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines.

The PG&E Foundation will provide $350,000 in total funding for 60 scholarships in the amounts of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 awards for eligible students.

Better Together STEM Scholarships are designed to give the next generation of Californians an opportunity to learn and succeed in higher education and support students who have made an impact in their community or who have overcome personal challenges.

“The PG&E Corporation Foundation is honored to help students as they pursue their dreams of becoming future scientists, innovators and engineers who give back to our state and communities and lay the critical building blocks for our clean energy future. For more than 10 years, we’ve been assisting students and their families who may be struggling to afford the cost of higher education — and there is no greater pride than seeing our young people blossom and thrive in their academic endeavors,” said Carla Peterman, PG&E Corporation Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, and Chair of the Board of The Foundation.

The Better Together STEM Scholarship program continues to help lessen the financial burden of attending college for even more students and their families. Last year, The PG&E Foundation added a new $5,000 scholarship that grew the scholarships’ reach to 20 additional students — up from 40 to 60 students.

In 2022, responding to a trend in applications from students admitted to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), eligibility expanded to students planning to attend HBCUs anywhere in the United States, in addition to California colleges and universities.

Since 2012, the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program has awarded $7.1 million to accomplished students based on a combined demonstration of community leadership, personal triumph, financial need and academic achievement. Watch this video featuring some of last year’s scholars.

Deadline and criteria 

Interested applicants can learn more and apply here. Deadline to apply is March 15, 2024. Scholarships will be awarded by August.

Scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement, demonstrated participation and leadership in school and community activities, and financial need. Students must pursue qualifying degrees in STEM disciplines include engineering, computer science/information systems, cybersecurity, environmental sciences, math and physics.

Applications are open to:

• High school seniors or graduates
• Students who have received a GED certification
• Current undergraduate students
• Non-traditional students or military veterans returning to school or pursuing their first undergraduate degree
• Applicants must live or be a dependent of a resident in PG&E’s service area in Northern and Central California; plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2024-2025 academic year; and be seeking their first undergraduate degree at an accredited four-year institution in California or HBCU.

PG&E Employee Resource Group scholarships

In addition to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program, PG&E’s 11 employee resource groups (ERGs) and two engineering networking groups (ENGs) award scholarships to help offset the cost of higher education. The funds are raised entirely through employee donations, employee fundraising events and Campaign for the Community, the company’s employee giving program. Since 1989, more than $6 million in ERG/ENG scholarships have been received by thousands of recipients. Apply here.