MSCPA Scholarships
Financial Aid - Scholarships
MSCPA Scholarships
Scholarships are administered by the Educational Foundation of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. (MSCPA) and are available for both undergrad and grad students. Scholarship funds are issued directly to the students and can be used for tuition, books, interviewing expenses, etc.
The application packet consists of the following:
- The one-page application form;
- 2012-13 Student Aid Report (SAR) print summary or copy of college loan application form. If you are a previous recipient of an MSCPA scholarship, please include a statement why you should be reconsidered;
- Letter of recommendation from an accounting professor;
- Official transcript of all educational courses;
- Essay of 200 words or less describing your career goals and why you feel you will be a successful Certified Public Accountant;
- Aronson applicants must include a separate essay explaining how their career path has been nontraditional; and
- Master's applicants must provide evidence of acceptance into a Master's program.
The deadline for receipt of the application packet is April 2, 2012 and winners will be notified by email by April 17. Awards will be distributed at the Society's Annual Meeting and Recognition Reception on May 10 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston.
Download the application form.
View a list of 2011 scholarship winners.
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.
Master's 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;
- Has been accepted into a Master's degree program in accounting or its equivalent at a Massachusetts college/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 Master's degree.
MSCPA/Firm Scholarship ($2,500)
This scholarship is funded in part by the MSCPA Educational Foundation with contributions from public accounting firms.
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.
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.
MSCPA/NABA Scholarship ($2,500)
Purpose: To encourage students from diverse ethnic backgrounds who have demonstrated academic excellence and financial need to pursue a career in accounting in Massachusetts.
The award program is administered by the Educational Foundation of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. and made possible by the generosity of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) 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 graduate student, or an undergraduate student who is Black or of African-American descent and who has completed at least the first semester of his/her sophomore year by the time of application;
- Demonstration of academic excellence;
- Demonstration of financial need;
- Intention to pursue a career in accounting in Massachusetts; and
- Student Membership in NABA, Inc -- Boston Metropolitan Chapter.
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.
The Women in Accounting Scholarships are funded by the MSCPA's Women Golf Committee.
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 junior year;
- Demonstration of academic excellence;
- Financial need; and
- Intention to pursue a career as a CPA in Massachusetts.
David J. Aronson Scholarship ($1,000)
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 Applicants must provide a separate essay explaining how their career path to accounting has not been traditional.
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 2012;
- 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 holds a lottery to award vouchers in the amount of $400 to candidates planning to sit for the exam as a Massachusetts candidate between May 1, 2012 and April 30, 2013. To be eligible, the individual must be a Massachusetts resident who will not 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. Nomination form.
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.
Visit the American Institute of CPAs who also offer a variety of CPA scholarships.



