The NRG Chairman’s Scholarship was established in honor of Howard Cosgrove, who served as NRG Energy’s first Chairman of the board. The scholarship will reward superior academic performance, exemplary non-academic achievements, and adherence to NRG’s core values.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicant must be the child of an active employee in good standing of NRG Energy, Inc., or of a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRG. NRG employees must have a minimum of one-year tenure at NRG by the application deadline. Children of NRG employees who are Senior Vice Presidents or above by the application deadline are not eligible.
• Applicant will be ineligible for a scholarship if an immediate family member (twin, sibling, half-sibling, etc.) was previously awarded the Chairman’s Scholarship. Additionally, a maximum of one Applicant per immediate family will be awarded a scholarship in any scholarship cycle.
• Applicant must be a graduating high school senior or previous high school graduate preparing to enter a college degree program for the first time.
  • Students who have completed one or more semesters of college after having graduated from high school are not eligible.
• Applicant must plan to enter an accredited four-year college on a full-time basis.
• The award may only be applied toward earning a bachelor’s degree.
  • Students planning to attend a two-year college for their first year are not eligible.
• Applicant must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted).
  • Please review this guide for instructions on converting your GPA to a 4.0 scale. GPA should be rounded to two decimal points.
• Current recipients of the NRG Chairman's Scholarship who are planning to renew the scholarship for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year must complete several Renewal Tasks through this application. 

Award Information:

• Scholarship finalists will be interviewed the first week of April.
• Two (2) scholarships awarded annually of $15,000 each (up to a maximum award of $60,000 over / up to 6 years).
• Scholarships are renewable as long as student meets eligibility criteria (3.0 GPA required for renewals).
• Must enroll in at least 12 hours per semester.

What Is Needed for This Application?

• Eligibility questions based on the criteria listed above
• 2 essay prompts
• 1 Personal recommendation 
• 2 Teacher recommendations
• Transcript (unofficial transcripts are accepted)
• Education information
• Resume (involvement in activities and service)
• Information for employee of NRG Energy, Inc., or of a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRG

Language Considerations:

• This application is offered in both English and Spanish.
• To view your application in Spanish, click the "EN" dropdown button in the top right corner of the screen and select "Español".
• You may toggle between English and Spanish while filling out your application.