Scholarships
The Foundation offers four scholarships for commercial property management careers. Recipients benefit from expert mentorship, access to a vast professional network, and essential industry education.
If you are considering an RPA or FMA designation as the next step in your career but are concerned about affordability, one of our three scholarships may be a great opportunity for you.
For questions or to apply, please contact info@bomachicago.org. A member of our team will respond within 24 to 48 hours.
Full Designation Scholarship
The Full Designation Scholarship is a needs-based scholarship valued at $10,000 that pays the full tuition for the Real Property Administrator (RPA) designation.
Applications open each August and are due in October. Visit our calendar for details and deadlines!
Eligibility Criteria
Please review the eligibility criteria for this needs-based scholarship below. If you meet these criteria, we invite you to apply.
- Applicants must have 24 months of commercial real estate experience by. The experience must specifically be in a commercial real estate property management role (residential and retail experience do not count toward the 24 months). *Internships may be eligible to count toward the 24 months of experience.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
- Applicants do NOT have to be a BOMA/Chicago member.
- Applicants must have taken three or less RPA designation classes prior to applying for the scholarship.
- Applicants must have completed at least one year of college level courses at a college/university and earned a GPA of 2.5/4.0 or 3.5/5.
- Applicants must be able to describe personal and/or professional challenges to entering or growing within the commercial real estate industry.
- Submission of three references.
Reginald L. Ollie Scholarship
A scholarship for CRE professionals who have faced significant professional and/or personal challenges to grow within the industry. The Ollie Scholarship is valued at $10,000 that pays the full tuition for the Real Property Administrator (RPA) designation.
Recipients are honored at the Diversity Celebration and paired with an experienced CRE mentor to gain one-on-one career planning and development assistance.
Applications open each November and are due in January. Visit our calendar for details and deadlines!
Eligibility Criteria
Please review the eligibility criteria below for this needs-based scholarship. If you meet these criteria, we invite you to apply.
- Applicants must have 24 months of commercial real estate experience. The experience must specifically be in a commercial real estate property management role (residential and retail experience do not count toward the 24 months). *Internships may be eligible to count toward the 24 months of experience.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
- Applicants do NOT have to be a BOMA/Chicago member.
- Applicants must have taken three or less RPA designation classes before applying for the scholarship.
- Applicants must have completed at least one year of college-level courses at a college or university and earned a GPA of 2.5/4.0 or 3.5/5.
- Applicants must be able to describe personal and/or professional challenges to entering or growing within the commercial real estate industry.
- Submission of three references.
Single Course Scholarship
A needs-based scholarship valued at $1,400 that pays for one RPA class.
Eligibility Criteria
Please review the eligibility criteria below for this needs-based scholarship. If you meet these criteria, we invite you to apply.
- Applicants must have 24 months of commercial real estate experience. The experience must specifically be in a commercial real estate property management role (residential and retail experience do not count toward the 24 months). *Internships may be eligible to count toward the 24 months of experience.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
- No college degree or transcript is required.
- Applicants do NOT need to be a BOMA/Chicago member.
- Applicants must be able to describe personal and/or professional challenges to entering or growing within the commercial real estate industry.
- Submission of two references.
- Applicants must submit a completed scholarship application form along with all necessary attachments at least two months prior to the start date of the course for which they are requesting funds.
Foundation's Class Scholarship
A scholarship valued at $950 that pays for the six-night CRE 101: Foundations of Real Estate Management class. This class provides a comprehensive introduction to property management, designed for those interested in exploring careers in commercial real estate. The course covers essential topics such as building operations, financial accounting, and contract oversight. Students also enjoy guided tours of landmark buildings in downtown Chicago, offering a firsthand look at the industry in action.
Applications open each September and are due in November. Visit our calendar for details and deadlines!
Eligibility Criteria
Please review the eligibility criteria below for this needs-based scholarship. If you meet these criteria, we invite you to apply.
- This scholarship opportunity is for individuals working for a Chicago office building in a capacity other than property management who are interested in transitioning to a property management career. The ideal applicant is one who has or is developing an understanding of important aspects of building operations (for example, security guards, janitorial staff, and building engineers).
- For purposes of this scholarship, working “for” a Chicago office building includes employees of building contractors.
- Applicants must have worked for a commercial office building for at least six months.
- This needs-based scholarship is only available to individuals whose employers do not cover the cost of the Foundations class.
- Applicants must have received an associate degree or be currently enrolled in an associate degree program.
- Applicants do NOT have to be a BOMA/Chicago member.
- Applicants must submit a complete Scholarship Application form, with its requested attachments by the deadline.
- Applicants must be able to explain why they are interested in a commercial real estate property management career.