Energy of the City

The Scholarship

Do I Qualify?

How can scholarship funds be used?
Scholarships may be used for any course of study at a public or private post secondary school, including community colleges, technical schools, and four-year universities.

Who is eligible to apply?
Students currently enrolled in an undergraduate 2 or 4-year visual or media arts program at an accredited college or university.  Washington Gas employees and immediate relatives of Washington Gas employees are not eligible.

Do I have to be a full-time student to receive a scholarship?
No, you can be either a full-time or a part-time student.

How do I apply?
The program application may be submitted on-line or via fax to 800.761.4966. The application and additional information on the scholarship program will available at www.energyofthecity.com on February 1, 2009.

What information does the application require?
The application requires basic contact information, education, and career outlook. In addition, applicants must answer short essay questions regarding: their educational goals why they would like to pursue a career in media arts, their views on the media’s power and influence, and the importance of integrity in journalism.

Will the information I provide on the application be kept confidential?
The information you provide will be shared only with the independent selection committee established by Washington Gas.

Who are the members of the selection committee?
The selection committee will be comprised of energy experts, members from the local media and arts community, and local marketing and advertising professionals.

How much scholarship money is available and how many will be awarded?
The scholarship award is $10,000.   Group applications cannot be accepted.  There will be one scholarship awarded to one recipient.

How will scholarship recipients be selected?

Finalists will be selected from the group of applicants. Scholarship finalists will be chosen by an independent selection committee established by Washington Gas. Finalists will be notified on May 15, 2009.  Finalists will have the summer to produce a video not longer than 8 minutes in length. The videos will be uploaded onto a proprietary website, produced by Washington Gas, where visitors and users will vote for their favorite video via a secure online voting server. The video with the greatest number of votes after a 2 week voting period will be awarded the scholarship.  Deadline for video submissions is August 16, 2009.

What are the guidelines?

  • Videos must be submitted in .flv format.
  • Washington Gas reserves the right to disqualify any finalist videos that contain explicit, political partisan, prejudiced, or slanderous language or inappropriate behavior.
  • All finalist video content must be written by the finalist. Copyright infringement is punishable by law.
  • Finalist will be asked to submit their written scripts for approval prior to producing their videos to ensure compliance with the scholarship rules.
  • Finalists will be asked to sign a contract stating their compliance with the rules and regulations set forth for this scholarship.
  • All videos remain the property of the finalists. Winning submissions may be used in future Washington Gas advertising campaigns, with credit being given to the owner.

Will there be a stipend provided to aid with video production?
Yes, each finalist will receive a $2,500 stipend to us toward materials and research. Finalist must provide receipts for all purchases at the time of entry. NOTE: Failure to provide complete and accurate records will result in disqualification and possible legal action taken.

When and how will the scholarship recipient be notified?
The scholarship recipient will be notified within three months of the scholarship deadline by letter and e-mail. Scholarship funds will be made out to and mailed directly to the recipient's school on behalf on f the recipient.

If I am not selected as a scholarship finalist or recipient, how will I be notified?
You will receive a letter stating that you were not selected. The letter will also include other options that you may find helpful.

If I am not selected as a scholarship finalist or recipient, can I challenge the selection committee’s decision?
No. All decisions of the selection committee are final.

What will be expected of me as a scholarship recipient?
The scholarship recipient must provide accurate information at all times. He/She must be enrolled in an approved educational program within six months of receiving notification of the scholarship award. He/She must continue their designated educational program for the complete term of the scholarship (barring illness, family emergency, or military service).

Are scholarship funds taxable?
Generally, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition, fees, or textbooks are not taxable. Because there may be some exceptions to this rule, Washington Gas recommends that you contact your tax advisor or log on to www.irs.gov to look for more information. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against the scholarship award.

If I am receiving public benefits, how will this scholarship affect those benefits?
Because the scholarship funds can be used to pay for only tuition, fees, and books, the scholarship is not considered to be income for public benefit purposes and should not affect your public benefit income.

Who do I contact if I need more information?
For additional information regarding the scholarship program, email info@energyofthecity.com or contact Larissa Spruill at 703.750.4234.