BALTIMORE — At the start of the year, BGE announced the company would mark its 200th anniversary as the first gas utility in the country with three legacy gifts to the central Maryland community it serves. On Monday, October 31, 2016, the company announced plans for its third and final legacy gift— the BGE Scholars Award, to provide annual scholarships to nine students from BGE’s service area. The merit-based scholarships will provide eligible students with awards of up to $5,000 each year. Central Scholarship, a Baltimore-based nonprofit, will administer the scholarship program on BGE’s behalf.
“BGE wants our legacy gifts to our customers to make a powerful and lasting impact. With our third gift, the BGE Scholars Award, we are excited to help promising students from our region achieve their full educational potential,” said Valencia McClure, BGE’s vice president of Governmental and External Affairs. “We also view this scholarship program as another way for BGE to support the development of our local workforce, by providing customers with the means to successfully compete for opportunities.”
“Affordability of postsecondary education and training is a huge problem. BGE’s extraordinary gift could mean the difference between going, or not going and, perhaps more importantly, completing or not completing a degree or certificate,” said Central Scholarship President Jan Moylan Wagner. “We are honored to partner with BGE on the occasion of their 200th anniversary to offer great students a future with brighter options.”
The company continues to partner with the nonprofit Art with a Heart to complete legacy gift that was announced at the beginning of the year— the design and installation of 100 mosaics in communities throughout central Maryland. In June, BGE announced the second legacy gift a collaboration, with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation to develop a ballpark in West Baltimore to be named the Eddie Murray Field at BGE Park in honor of the Baseball Hall of Famer and Baltimore Orioles legend. The park will be home to James Mosher Baseball, the oldest continuously operating African-American youth baseball league in the country.
To be eligible for a BGE Scholars Award, students must be BGE customers or dependents of BGE customers who have been accepted into an accredited undergraduate or post-secondary program, including vocational programs Applicants may also be currently enrolled in an eligible program. In addition to academic achievement, BGE and Central Scholarship are looking for applicants to demonstrate service and commitment to community, civic or related organizations. Interested students should apply online by visiting the BGE website: bge.com. Applications will be available beginning on January 1, 2017, for the 2017-2018 academic year.
Details about the program will be available on bge.com
BGE employees and relatives are not eligible for a BGE Scholars Award.