Houston-area students can pay for online colleges with scholarships

Houston-area students can pay for online colleges with scholarships

High school seniors who plan to enroll in on-campus or online degree programs next year may consider applying for scholarships, such as those recently awarded by Reliant Energy.

The company has announced the beneficiaries of its Scholarship for Champions program for high school seniors living in the Houston area.

For the fourth year, the company selected eight graduating seniors to win $5,000 in financial assistance to help them pay for their first year of college.

J.J. Moses, a player for the Houston Texans, visited each winner at his or her respective high school and announced their names at one of his team's home games.

The awardees were nominated by coaches or teachers and selected based on academic achievement, participation in athletics, leadership, ethics and extracurricular activities.

Through the awards, the company aims to "recognize the importance of education [by] helping students realize their potential," said Jason Few, president of Reliant Energy.

A total of 32 students have received the scholarships since the program's inception.

Similar scholarship opportunities may help prospective college freshmen finance their education at brick-and-mortar or online universities.