MSCPA Scholarships

Kathleen M. Peabody, CPA, Memorial Scholarship ($2,500)

Sponsored by Wolf & Company PC, this scholarship is to encourage individuals who have demonstrated academic excellence and financial need to pursue a career in public accounting in Massachusetts.

To qualify, a student must meet most of the following criteria:

• Full-time undergraduate accounting major who will be entering their junior or senior year;
• A legal resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
• Superior academic standing;
• Financial need; and
• Intention to seek a career in a public accounting firm.

Masters Scholarship Program ($2,500)

This award is $2,500 per year with a maximum of $5,000 per person. It is for a student holding an undergraduate degree in accounting, who is in the process of obtaining a masters degree in accounting or its equivalent.

To qualify, a student:

• Is a legal resident of Massachusetts and planning to enroll in a masters degree program in accounting or its equivalent at a Massachusetts college or university;
• Has a financial need; and
• Intends to seek a position or continue working or teaching in accounting-related areas in the commonwealth of Massachusetts following the conferment of the masters degree.

MSCPA Scholarship ($2,500)

Two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded in 2010, funded entirely by the MSCPA Educational Foundation.

To qualify, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• A legal resident of Massachusetts;
• A graduate student, or an undergraduate who has completed at least the first semester of his/her junior year;
• Demonstration of academic excellence;
• Have financial need; and
• Intention to pursue a career as a CPA in Massachusetts.

MSCPA/ALPFA Scholarship ($2,500)

The purpose of these scholarships is to encourage students from diverse ethnic backgrounds who have demonstrated academic excellence and financial need to pursue a career in public accounting in Massachusetts.

Two scholarships, in the amount of $2,500, are made possible through the generosity of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) and the Educational Foundation of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA).

This award is designated for students who meet the following criteria:

• A legal resident of Massachusetts;
• A graduate student, or an undergraduate student who has completed at least the first semester of his/her sophomore year by the time of application;
• Demonstration of academic excellence and financial need as evidenced by:
  – an official transcript
  – a FAFSA or other type of college loan application
  – a letter of recommendation from an accounting professor;
• Intention to pursue a career as a CPA at a public accounting firm in Massachusetts; and
• Student Membership in ALPFA-Boston.

MSCPA Firm Scholarship ($2,500)

Scholarships are made possible through the generosity of public accounting firms throughout the Commonwealth.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• A legal resident of Massachusetts;
• A graduate student, or an undergraduate student who has completed at least the first semester of his/her junior year;
• Demonstration of academic excellence;
• Financial need; and
• Intention to pursue a career as a CPA at a public accounting firm in Massachusetts.

Women in Accounting Scholarship ($2,500)

The purpose of these scholarships is to encourage women who have demonstrated academic excellence and financial need to pursue a career as a CPA in Massachusetts.

Five scholarships will be offered in 2010, thanks to the generosity of the MSCPA's Women Golf Committee and a donation from Fidelity Investments, in honor of the 2009 MSCPA Women to Watch Award recipients.

These awards are designated for women who meet the following criteria:

• A legal resident of Massachusetts;
• A graduate student, or an undergraduate student who has completed at least the first semester of his/her junior year;
• Demonstration of academic excellence;
• Financial need; and
• Intention to pursue a career as a CPA in Massachusetts.

David J. Aronson Scholarship ($2,000)

This scholarship, intended for graduate students, is a memorial gift from the Aronson family. Special consideration will be given to applicants who have spent at least two years in a full time position prior to graduate school in order to facilitate a career change.

To qualify, the applicant:

• Is enrolled full-time in a graduate program leading to an MS-Accounting, MBA, MS-Tax, or an MS-Finance;
• Has a superior academic standing; and
• Intends to seek a career in a public accounting firm within Massachusetts.

F. Grant Waite, CPA, Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)

To encourage individuals who have demonstrated academic excellence and financial need to pursue a career in public accounting in Massachusetts. Special consideration will be given to married students with children.

To qualify, a student must meet most of the following criteria:

• Full-time undergraduate accounting major who will be entering their junior or senior year;
• Superior academic standing;
• Financial need; and
• Intention to seek a career in a public accounting firm.

Paychex Inc. Entrepreneur Scholarship ($1,000)

Sponsored by Paychex, a national provider of payroll, human resource, and benefits services to small-to-medium sized businesses.

To qualify, a student:

• Is a Massachusetts resident enrolled full-time in a Massachusetts college or university;
• Will be entering his/her Junior year in fall 2010;
• Has earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale;
• Demonstrates a financial need; and
• Demonstrates commitment to pursuing a career as a CPA.

Scholarship Lottery for CPA Exam Candidates

In an effort to increase the number of test takers and defray exam costs, the Society will hold a lottery to award up to 45 vouchers in the amount of $400 to candidates planning to sit for the exam as a Massachusetts candidate between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2011. To be eligible, the individual cannot receive financial assistance from his or her employer in the form of payments/reimbursements of exam fees or review courses, or a bonus upon passing. Apply now.

Outstanding Accounting Educator Award

Would you like to recognize your former professor or a colleague for their excellence in the classroom? The Outstanding Accounting Educator Award was designed to recognize full-time accounting faculty who are actively involved in the accounting profession. The winner will receive an award of $1,000 to further his/her professional development and a matching gift will be given to the college's accounting department in their honor. Learn more.

Accounting Scholarships Offered by Other Organizations

Find scholarships offered to accounting students by other organizations.

About the MSCPA's Educational Foundation

Designed to recognize and encourage today's students who become tomorrow's accountants, the Foundation promotes new accountancy programs in higher education, and strengthens the links between business and academia. Contributions assist in funding for students enrolled in undergraduate accounting programs and the UMass Summer Camp Program aimed at introducing minority students to the various opportunities available in the business world, especially accounting. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, provides an opportunity to make a tax deductible contribution to a program that helps to ensure the future of the profession.