SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced today that applications are now available for scholarships for college-bound high school students as well as current college students. The awards from the company's employee resource groups will mean that at least 100 students in PG&E's Northern and Central California service area will receive up to $6,000 next year for exemplary scholastic achievement and community leadership.

Every year, PG&E's 10 employee resource groups—each representing the company's diverse 23,000-plus workforce—conduct fundraisers in order to award scholarships to help reduce the cost of higher education. Scholarship information, including criteria and applications, is available on PG&E's website. To be considered for a scholarship, all applications must be submitted by Feb. 9, 2015.

In 2014, PG&E's Employee Resource Groups distributed $317,000 in scholarships to 157 deserving students. In some cases, recipients are the first in their families to attend college.

Since 1989, more than $4 million in scholarships have been awarded to thousands of recipients. The funds come from employee donations, fundraising events and Campaign for the Community, the company's charitable giving program.

"The scholarships recognize and honor the incredible work so many students lead in their schools and communities, and help cut the cost of college," said PG&E Director of Performance and Inclusion Joyce Ibardolasa, who's also the board president of the Employee Community Fund, an umbrella charitable organization that provides governance for the ERG scholarships.

Summer Internships Also Available

ERG scholarship recipients are also encouraged to apply for summer internships within the company. PG&E set a record this year by employing 200 interns this summer in the company's various lines of business. PG&E interns receive practical experience with real-world projects, while receiving an inside track to full-time employment within the company.      

PG&E's 10 ERGs include:

• Access Network (individuals with disabilities)
• Asian
• Black
• Latino
• Legacy (tenured employees)
• NuEnergy (new employees)
• PrideNetwork (LGBT employees)
• Samahan (Filipino)
• Veterans
• Women's Network

Nearly 5,000 PG&E employees belong to these groups. Each group helps contribute to the company's commitment to serving its communities while building customer loyalty and trust.

In addition to the ERG scholarships, PG&E offers scholarships through its Bright Minds™ Scholarship Program, targeting high achieving, low-income students, and the Pacific Service Employees Association (PSEA), a non-profit mutual benefit organization serving employees and retirees of PG&E, and providing scholarships for dependents of company employees.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

http://www.pgecurrents.com
http://www.facebook.com/pacificgasandelectric
http://www.twitter.com/pge4me
http://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-gas-and-electric-company
http://www.youtube.com/user/pgevideo

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/apply-now-pge-announces-applications-for-100-scholarships-available-300001883.html

SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company