PG&E is looking for students who have given back to their local community or overcome personal hardships. The reward for sharing their stories could be college scholarships, some worth as much as $30,000.

Help with applications will be offered by Cuesta College for the PG&E Bright Minds Scholarship Program at an upcoming Cash for College event from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Cuesta’s San Luis Obispo campus, Building 3400, Room 3414 computer lab.

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be at least 16 and a high school senior or graduate, have received GED certification or be a current postsecondary undergraduate student
• Live within the PG&E service area
• Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire 2013-2014 academic year

PG&E will award up to $1 million in PG&E Bright Minds Scholarships to enable high school, community college and adult students to complete their higher education paths. Bright Minds scholarship winners will receive scholarships of up to $30,000 per year; program finalists will receive $2,500 toward their studies. Applications are due Feb. 28 and can be found online at www.pge.com/brightminds.

The Cash for College event will also be the place for high school seniors to receive help with FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and Cal Grant forms. To qualify for a Cal Grant, students must submit the FAFSA and GPA verification form no later than March 2.

For more information about the workshop, call 546-3143 or email finaid@cuesta.edu.

Jay Thompson | (805) 546-3100, ext. 2636 | Email: jay_thompson@cuesta.edu | Posted Feb. 4, 2013