Florida Association of Realtors Offers Seniors a Chance to Win Up to $6,000 in College Scholarship Awards

ORLANDO, FL – January 13, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Attention Florida high school seniors: Time is running out for you to win up to $6,000 to help pay for college tuition next year. Better start writing – there’s less than a month to go until the Feb. 9, 2009, deadline to enter the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR) 2008-2009 Scholarship/Essay Contest for High School Seniors, which offers a total of $28,000 in scholarship funding.

Students must write a typed, double-spaced essay, 500 words or less, on the topic, “How Does a Realtor® Professional Benefit the Community?” This topic gives students a wide range of real estate professional fields to write about, including residential brokerage, commercial brokerage, industrial and office brokerage, farm and land brokerage, real estate appraising, property management, land development and real estate counseling, to name just a few of the specialties.

FAR’s scholarship program benefits students from across the state, with $1,000 in prize money going to the top essays in each of the Association’s 13 districts in the state. Students with the 13 district-winning essays then compete to win three $5,000 FAR scholarships on the statewide level, for a total of $28,000 in scholarship awards. All essays, along with an official Essay Cover Form, must be postmarked no later than Feb. 9, 2009, and mailed to the Florida Association of Realtors, 7025 Augusta National Drive, P.O. Box 725025, Orlando, FL, 32872-5025.

“Florida Realtors feel privileged to be able to help deserving young people continue their dreams of a college education,” says 2009 FAR President Cynthia Shelton. “There is no better investment in the future of our communities, our state and our nation than to invest in young people and help them realize their potential. Our successful scholarship program, now in its ninth year, is just one way that Florida Realtors give back to their community.”

FAR’s statewide scholarship awards program is open only to high school seniors who reside in the state of Florida and plan on continuing their education at a college, university, technical school or other institution of higher learning. The college or institution of higher learning does not have to be located within the state of Florida. Children whose parents are licensed real estate practitioners are not eligible for contest entry; nor are children whose parents are employed by any local Realtor board/association or by the Florida Association of Realtors.

Scholarship contest rules and the official essay cover form are available at public and private senior high school guidance offices throughout the state. Or students, parents, teachers – anyone – can go to FAR’s Media Center Web site (http://media.floridarealtors.org) to download the required essay cover form, list of FAR District Vice Presidents and other scholarship/essay contest materials.

The Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), the voice for real estate in Florida, provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 125,000 members in 67 boards/associations.

Contact:

Marla Martin, Communications Manager
407/438-1400, ext. 2326 or 2314