When looking for scholarships, it pays to take a measured approach to the situation. There are thousands of them available, and a considerable number of them are geared specifically toward accounting majors. By zeroing in on accounting scholarships, you can increase your chances of getting much-needed financial assistance while pursuing a higher education. Pinpointing accounting scholarships can be tricky, but we’ve done a lot of the legwork for you by tracking down the 25 most popular options for undergraduate and graduate students.
1. The NSA Scholarship Foundation
Several thousands of dollars are awarded to talented accounting students by the NSA Scholarship Foundation every year. In 2014, the Foundation awarded $34,450 to 33 deserving individuals. In order to qualify, you must be working on a degree program at a two- or four-year university or college. You must also currently have a B average or higher. Eligibility is determined based on things like leadership abilities, academic achievement and financial need. With around 35 scholarships awarded per year, this is a worthwhile option to consider.
2. Surety Industry Scholarship Program for Minority Students
Students who are awarded this scholarship receive up to $2,500, which can go a really long way toward paying for a higher education. This scholarship has been available since 2003, and it is awarded by the Surety Foundation. In order to qualify for the Surety Industry Scholarship Program for Minority Students, you must be a minority student who has declared a major in insurance, risk management, accounting, business or finance. You must also have at least a 3.0 GPA and have completed at least 30 credit hours with at least six relating to your major.
3. KSPCA High School Merit Scholarships
If you live in Kansas and plan to attend a Kansas college or university, you should consider applying for KSPCA High School Merit Scholarships. Several scholarships are awarded each year. In addition to 15 $500 scholarships, one scholarship in each of the following amounts is also awarded: $600, $700, $800, $900 and $1,300. Financial need is not considered when assessing eligibility. These scholarships are intended for high school seniors with high scores on the ACT or SAT. You must be planning to attend a Kansas college or university and must be planning to major in accounting.
4. Frank L. Greathouse Government Accounting Scholarship
Every year, one or more student in the United States is awarded this $5,000 scholarship. You may apply for it whether you are an undergrad or a graduate student. In either case, you must be attending school full time, and you must be planning to go into a career in finance with the state or local government. In addition to that, you need a recommendation from the chair of your accounting program or from your academic advisor.
5. TACTYC/AICPA Scholarship
The TACTYC, or Teachers of Accounting at Two-Year Colleges, awards scholarships per year to students who are pursuing degrees in accounting. The seven scholarships are for $1,000 each. Five of them are awarded to two-year graduating college students who want to move on to pursue their bachelor’s degrees in accounting. Another two scholarships are awarded to students who are currently pursuing two-year accounting-based degrees. Eligibility is based on factors like recommendations, total credit hours and grade point averages, and you must be planning to pursue a career in accounting.
6. AICPA John L. Carey Scholarship
If you’ve already earned a liberal arts degree or business degree but would like to go to graduate school for accounting or for a CPA license, this may be the scholarship for you. Every year, up to 10 scholarships for up to $5,000 each are awarded. Eligibility for the AICPA John L. Carey Scholarship is based on things like future career plans, leadership capabilities and academic achievement.
7. Laurels Fund Scholarships
Women who are pursuing advanced degrees in accounting should consider applying for Laurels Fund Scholarships. These scholarships have been awarded every year since 1978. You may be able to receive a scholarship for up to $5,000. You must be a Ph.D. student, and you need to have completed your comprehensive examinations. Eligibility is determined based on financial need, academic achievement, volunteerism and other factors. Many people apply for these scholarships. As long as you meet the basic eligibility requirements, though, there is no reason not to apply.
8. NSA Scholarship – The Louis and Fannie Sager Memorial Scholarship
If you didn’t graduate from a public school in the state of Virginia and don’t plan on attending high school or college in that state, you can skip right past this accounting scholarship. However, if you meet those initial criteria, this is a great option to pursue. In addition to planning to attend a college or university in the Old Dominion State, you must be planning to major in accounting. This scholarship ranges from $500 to $1,000, and only one is awarded per year.
9. RVDA Education Foundation Scholarship Program
Who couldn’t use an extra $2,500 toward his or her higher education? If you are planning to pursue a career in the RV, or recreational vehicle, industry, this is a scholarship that you need to consider. It is made possible by the Newt and Joanne Kindlund family and is intended for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. College undergrads are also welcome to apply. You should either be majoring or plan on majoring in accounting, finance or some other business-related area of study.
10. Herman J. Neal Scholarship
Up to three of these prestigious scholarships, which are worth up to $4,000 each, are awarded every year. As far as eligibility is concerned, you must African American and should be pursuing a degree in accounting or licensure as a CPA. The total amount of the scholarship varies, but portions may be used to pay for things like tuition, fees, books and materials. You must have at least two years of post-secondary education completed and be attending a college or university in Illinois. A GPA of at least 3.0 is also required.
11. COAG Scholarship
As long as you are a high school senior in the state of Georgia who plans to attend an accredited Georgia college or university while pursuing a degree in accounting, finance, pre-law, business, political science, government or law enforcement, you are welcome to apply for this scholarship. You must be able to produce a letter of acceptance or enrollment letter from the school that you will be attending, and you must also complete a 1,000-word essay.
12. Texas Fifth Year Accounting Student Scholarship Program
The state of Texas offers this scholarship as a way of attracting talented and qualified individuals to pursue accounting careers with the government. In order to be eligible, you must attend a public or private school in the state. You can’t have taken the CPA exam yet but must be planning to do so in the future. Furthermore, you must be making good academic progress and be able to prove it. Financial need is also taken into consideration for this scholarship, which can be worth up to $3,000.
13. Catching the Dream MESBEC Program
In an effort to encourage the employment of Native Americans in careers in the fields of mathematics, science, engineering, computers, business and education, the Catch the Dream scholarship program was developed to provide financial assistance to qualifying individuals. If you are Native American and attend a school that is accredited on the state, federal or tribal level, you should consider applying for this scholarship. It has been awarded since 1986 and has helped countless Native Americans to afford paying for higher educations.
14. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers or SHPE Scholarships
Since its inception, this scholarship has awarded more than $2 million to qualifying individuals. It is awarded by an organization called Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science, or AHETEMS. Several scholarships are available through this program, and you may apply for as many of them for which you are eligible. Scholarship amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000. You must be a registered, full-time student pursuing a degree in math, science, technology or engineering, and you must have a 3.0 or higher GPA.
15. ABA Diversity Scholarship
Although the eligibility requirements for this scholarship are a little more specific, this is a worthwhile option for some accounting majors to consider. That’s certainly the case if you are pursuing a career in travel, tourism or transportation. You must be in your first year of college and need to have declared a relevant major. Your GPA must be 3.0 or higher. Factors like academic merit, leadership capabilities, personal character and financial need are taken into consideration.
16. American Society of Women Accountants Scholarship
Geographically speaking, you must be attending a two- or four-year college or university in southwest Missouri in order to qualify for this scholarship. If that’s the case, though, you definitely need to apply for it. You may also apply if you are pursuing an advanced degree. As a part of the application process, you must write a letter explaining why you believe you qualify and stating your career goals. Your grades will be verified by the American Society of Women Accountants as well.
17. ALPFA Scholarship Program
The ALPFA, or Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, awards this scholarship on an annual basis. It is available to students of Hispanic heritage who are pursuing careers in finance, accounting and related fields. You must be enrolled as a full-time student in a degree-seeking program that is related to one of those fields. In addition to being a sophomore, junior or senior, you must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
18. Executive Women International Scholarship Program
The Executive Women International Scholarship Program or EWISP, is available to high school seniors. There is a process involved in receiving a scholarship through this program, which awards more than $200,000 per year, but it is well worth it for those who may be eligible. Individual scholarships of up to $10,000 are awarded, and students must be nominated by their schools to compete. If you are selected to compete, you will do so on the chapter level. Upon passing through that level, you may compete on the corporate level. Things like extra-curricular activities, leadership abilities, academic achievement and citizenship are all taken into consideration.
19. Fukuhaga Scholarship Foundation Scholarship
If you are a resident of Hawaii and plan to pursue a degree in business administration or another business-related field – including accounting – you should consider applying for one of these four-year scholarships. If you are awarded one, you may receive up to $4,000 per year for a total of up to $16,000 toward your studies. Only people who have just enrolled in college are eligible, and 40 to 50 students are awarded scholarships through this program per year.
20. HSF/Marathon Oil Corporation Scholarship Program
This is one of the most valuable scholarships out there, and it can be worth up to $15,000 per year. You may also receive a paid internship through this program as well. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Islander Americans, American Indians and Alaskan Native Americans are invited to apply. You must be a sophomore majoring in accounting, engineering or a related field, and you must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
21. Pennsylvania Society of Public Accountants Scholarships
The Pennsylvania Society of Public Accountants, or PSPA, awards three scholarships per year to accounting majors. One scholarship is worth $2,000, and two others are worth $1,000 each. You must be an undergraduate student with at least 60 credit hours to be eligible, and your GPA must be 3.0 or higher. Things like financial need, extra-curricular activities, academic achievement and leadership abilities are all taken into consideration by the PSPA when awarding these scholarships.
22. A.A. and Hattie Mae Bush Accounting Scholarship
For accounting majors who live in the 26 northernmost counties of the Texas Panhandle, this is a worthwhile scholarship to consider. You must be a graduating high school senior or a current college or university student to apply, and you must be planning to attend West Texas A&M University, Amarillo College or Texas Tech University. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required. The total amount is $1,000, and it is renewable every year pending an approval process.
23. TKE Educational Foundation W. Allan Herzog Scholarship
You have to be an active member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity to be considered for this scholarship. Undergraduate members of its Nu chapter may be eligible for the W. Allan Herzog Scholarship, which is awarded every year. You must be a full-time student with a GPA of at least 2.75. You must also be pursuing a degree in accounting, finance or economics. Furthermore, you must have at least one full year of undergraduate study left to complete.
24. Nellie Martin Carman Scholarship Fund
As with many accounting scholarships, you must come from a specific geographic region to be eligible for the Nellie Martin Carman Scholarship. If you are graduating from a high school in Snohomish, King or Pierce County in Washington State and plan to attend a college or university in your home state as well, you may qualify. You must be nominated by your high school in order to apply. 30 scholarships are awarded per year, and the maximum amount is $2,000. However, it is renewable for up to four years.
25. Equilar Scholars Program
This scholarship is specific to students who attend the University of California at Davis. In order to qualify, you must be majoring in statistics, finance, business, economics or a related field of study, so accounting counts as well. Ethnicity is not taken into consideration for this scholarship, but incoming freshmen must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and sophomores, juniors and seniors must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. You must be a resident of northern California as well, and financial need is taken into consideration.
After going through the list, you should be able to find at least a handful for which you may qualify. Follow the links to learn more about them so that you know when to apply and what you need in order to do so. For a small amount of effort, you may be awarded with scholarships that help to cover a significant portion of your higher education costs while pursuing your accounting degree.
