What Scholarships are Available to Accounting Students?

scholarships for accounting students

As the hefty price tag of earning a college degree continues to steadily climb at business schools across the United States, it is becoming even more important for you to take advantage of available scholarships for accounting. Although paying tuition expenses for higher education can be extremely expensive, the payoff of earning an accounting degree still makes it a great investment for unlocking a range of career paths in various industries. Instead of accumulating a large amount of federal student loan debt that will need to be repaid with interest after you complete your degree, apply to as many scholarships as possible to cut down tuition costs. The following are some major scholarships that are offered to accounting majors nationwide to reduce the financial burden of fulfilling career aspirations as an accountant.

National Society of Accountants Foundation Scholarships

In an effort to boost opportunities in higher education for young people who are committed to pursuing a career in accounting, the National Society of Accountants (NSA) Foundation awards a total of 39 annual scholarships to eligible students across the United States. Ranging in value from $500 to $2,000 each, the scholarships are designed to provide tuition assistance to students with significant financial need in order to achieve their professional aspirations in becoming an accountant. Selection for the awards will be based on overall outstanding academic performance, demonstrated leadership qualities, participation in school or community service activities, academic honors, professional work experience, stated career goals, and financial need. All undergraduate and graduate accounting majors in accredited degree programs at U.S. institutions are welcome to apply.

AICPA John L. Carey Scholarships

Through the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the John L. Carey Scholarships are granted each academic year for up to five students at $5,000 apiece to provide financial assistance in pursuing graduate studies in accounting with the intent to earn licensure as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Since the program is designed to encourage students to consider professional accounting career choices with little or no previous experience in the field, the scholarships are only granted to individuals with a liberal arts or non-business bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution. Eligible candidates must not have earned more than 12 credits in accounting or business at the undergraduate level, be accepted into an AACSB-accredited graduate program in accounting, intend to become a CPA, enroll in at least nine credit hours per semester, and have permanent U.S. residency or citizenship.

Frank L. Greathouse Government Accounting Scholarships

With funding provided by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), the Frank L. Greathouse Government Accounting Scholarships are granted annually for $6,000 each to qualified undergraduate and graduate students nationwide. In order to be eligible for the increased financial support, applicants must be enrolled in full-time in an accredited accounting degree program at a U.S. institution in preparation for pursuing a rewarding career in state or local government finance. Within the GFOA, certain accounting students may also be eligible for the Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship, which offers $6,000 to minority individuals demonstrating outstanding promise in governmental accounting.

Concluding Thoughts

While these three programs represent the most prominent accounting scholarships, there are many other funding opportunities available to accounting majors. When searching for additional financial assistance online, zero in on the scholarships that are geared specifically towards accounting majors in your specific region. In order to discover the scholarships for accounting that are offered at your school, be sure to make a trip to your financial aid office for even more opportunities to cover a significant portion of your accounting degree’s tuition expenses.

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