Foresters awards 265 scholarships to American students committed to academics and their communities

TORONTO, July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - The financial burden of a post-secondary education just got a little lighter for 265 American students with the help of Foresters™ Competitive Scholarship Program. Foresters, a life insurance provider committed to the well-being of families, has offset the high costs of a post-secondary education by awarding 350 renewable scholarships across North America to eligible members and their families.

Over almost 30 years, Foresters has awarded more than 4,700 scholarships - providing students with more than $27 million in financial support in the U.S. and Canada. Applicants who share Foresters commitment to community service and demonstrate solid academic performance may qualify for up to $8,000 in support.

In addition, five Ken Peterson awards for Community Service are granted annually, offering up to $11,000. The award recognizes applicants who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and extraordinary effort and ability to overcome adversity, serving as role models in their communities.

"Foresters is proud of the hard work and dedication our scholarship recipients have demonstrated in their classroom and their communities," said Kasia Czarski, Chief Membership and Marketing Officer at Foresters. "The Foresters Competitive Scholarships Program helps cultivate the next generation of leaders and community volunteers while providing well-deserved financial assistance to these students as they work towards their educational goals."

Foresters Competitive Scholarships are available annually to members, their spouses and dependent children who will be continuing their post-secondary education.  Members interested in applying for a scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year can do so from December 1, 2011 through February 29, 2012.

"It is a dream of mine to one day become a Marketing Specialist, but I know paying for an education will not be easy," says Vlada Andersen of Gainesville, GA.  "Thanks to the Foresters scholarship, I'll be able to focus on my studies while continuing to make a difference in my community."

To obtain further details about the Foresters Competitive Scholarship program visit www.foresters.com/scholarships

About Foresters
Founded in 1874 as a fraternal benefit society, Foresters™ champions the well-being of families through quality life insurance, unique member benefits and inspiring community activities.  Foresters shares its financial strength with more than 835,000 members in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Unity Life of Canada¹, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foresters, represents Foresters in Canada. For more information, please visit www.foresters.com.

Foresters™ is a trademark of The Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal benefit society, Toronto, Canada M3C 1T9.

¹Unity Life of Canada, a Foresters company, is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Independent Order of Foresters

Note to Editors: click here for a complete list of 2011-2012 American scholarship recipients by state and city. 

SOURCE Foresters