By David Thompson
BGE announced the continuation of partnerships with Bowie State University, Coppin State University and Morgan State University to award scholarships to full-time STEM majors from Maryland. Each school will receive a total of $1 million in grant funding over four years (2023-2026) from the BGE Scholars program. The company made the announcement yesterday at the Banneker Douglas Museum in Annapolis.
The funding will provide an annual commitment at each school of $10,000 scholarships to 15 students pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines (for a total of $150,000); $50,000 to fund persistence grants, available to any student at the university; and $50,000 to support student and faculty-led innovation and research projects.
In addition to the grant funding, BGE also commits to leading student enrichment and career development activities and events such as the Black Excellence in Energy speaker series, summer internship prioritization, mentors, and job shadowing opportunities.
“As partners in this effort since 2021, the HBCUs have been able to award scholarships to Maryland students to reduce their higher education debt, provide persistence grants to help students pay off unexpected expenses that impact degree completion and provide funding for faculty and student-led research opportunities,” said BGE President and CEO Carim Khouzami. “These foundational investments have yielded very promising early-stage impacts and have generated momentum for a promising future together. So today, we are excited to reaffirm our commitment to the partnership with each institution.”
“This $3 million investment from BGE to students studying at Morgan State, Coppin State, and Bowie State is centered on a priority that is crucial to the long-term competitiveness of our state: and that’s STEM education,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “These scholarships will help provide our students with some of the financial security they need to complete their degrees, and innovative research opportunities in the classroom that will set them up for success in their future careers. This effort pushes forward our administration’s goal to build a more equitable state, where no one is left behind.”
Fifteen students from Bowie State are already receiving scholarships through the BGE Scholars program.
“Bowie State University is proud to partner with BGE as they deepen their investment in local Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” said Bowie State University President Aminta H. Breaux. “We are grateful for the support that allows us to continue in our years-long commitment to offering students transformational educational experiences.”
Since the partnership was launched with BGE’s initial commitment of $1,275,000, 45 students have been awarded scholarships and 94 additional students were able to graduate with the support of persistence funding. BGE and the universities will continue to build their partnerships beyond financial support to help advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Maryland.
To be eligible for the scholarships, a student must be a Maryland resident, maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA, major in a STEM field, and demonstrate financial need.
