FAR offers $106,000 in scholarship awards

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jan. 31, 2005 -- Mention money and most people listen. So spread the word to your buyers and sellers -- especially those with children who are high-school seniors this year -- that the Florida Association of Realtors®’ (FAR) is making more money available to the student winners of its 2005-2006 Scholarship/Essay Contest for High School Seniors. FAR has upped the ante to a total of $106,000 in scholarship funding this year. By entering the essay contest, a student could win up to $10,000 to help pay college costs.

And entering is easy. Students write a typed, double-spaced essay -- 500 words or less -- on the topic, “How Does a Realtor Professional Benefit the Community?” This topic allows students the freedom to write about the wide range of Realtor professionals who work in a variety of fields, 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 general specialties. Or essays may address such points as the benefits of homeownership to society, or to families on a personal level, or how the selling of commercial real estate encourages economic growth.

This is the sixth year for FAR’s scholarship program, which benefits students from across the state. Here's how the prize money will be awarded: Students winning first place in each of the Association's 13 districts in the state each will receive a $5,000 award; and second-place winners each will each receive a $1,500 scholarship award. This year, for the first time, students also will be recognized for winning third in each district with a $500 scholarship award. The 13 top district-winning essays will go on to compete to win three $5,000 FAR scholarships on the statewide level, for a total of $106,000 in scholarship awards. All essays, along with an official Essay Cover Form, must be postmarked no later than March 17, 2006, and mailed to the Florida Association of Realtors, 7025 Augusta National Drive, P.O. Box 725025, Orlando, FL, 32872-5025.

Tell students to check with the high school guidance office to obtain an application kit and essay cover form for FAR’s 2005-2006 Scholarship/Essay Contest for High School Seniors. Or anyone -- students, Realtors, teachers and parents -- can go to the media section of FAR’s Media Center Web site, (http://media.living.net) to download the scholarship/essay contest application kit, official cover form and list of FAR District Vice Presidents.

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. Children of 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.

© 2006 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Largo Florida Real Estate Cell : (727) 744-6821 or (727) 744-6822Our goal is to keep you informed on trends in the Tampa real estate marketplace using the latest technology and statistics while providing WORLD CLASS SERVICE, PERIOD.Regards,Mark And Sam Wells, Lic Florida Realtorshref="http://www.jobwellsdone.com/" href=http://www.markandsamwells.com/