The HAVE IT YOUR WAY ® Foundation today announced it has awarded over $1,000,000 in scholarships to a total of 944 students nationwide as part of the ninth annual BURGER KING ® Scholars Program. Among the winners are 83 students from Pennsylvania, including Jena Herner form Phoenixville High School.

“It’s especially gratifying that the BURGER KING ® Scholars Program can continue to offer financial support in this challenging economic environment and enable high-achieving, dedicated students to continue their education and pursuit of successful careers,” said HAVE IT YOUR WAY ® Foundation’s Executive Director Ivette Diaz.

Created in memory of BURGER KING ® co-founder, James W. McLamore, the BURGER KING ® Scholars Program has awarded a total of 12,720 scholarships representing more than $12.7 million since the program’s inception in 2000. S cholarship awards are intended to help students offset the cost of attending college or a post-secondary vocational/technical school. Students throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada are eligible for the scholarships.

Sixty-one (61) of the PA high school seniors were awarded $1,000 scholarships. These BURGER KING ® Scholars are selected based on their grade point average, work experience, financial need, extracurricular activities and community service.

Additionally, 16 BURGER KING ® student employees from NC were awarded $1,000 scholarships and six were awarded $5,000 scholarships. These recipients are selected based on their academic achievements, financial need and community involvement. In addition, they must have worked for the company for at least one year.

Scholarship funds come directly from the HAVE IT YOUR WAY ® Foundation, company-owned and franchise BURGER KING ® restaurants throughout the country that host a variety of fundraising activities in order to generate monies for scholarships each year. For more information on the program including instructions for obtaining scholarship applications for 2010, visit www.haveityourwayfoundation.org .