The American Institute of CPAs announced Tuesday a new scholarship to support Black accounting students in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, areas.
The AICPA Scholarship for Accounting Students in Minneapolis/St. Paul will provide $5,000 each to accounting students attending colleges or universities in the Twin Cities area to help cover education-related costs. Two scholarships will be available for the 2020-21 academic year, with another two offered during the 2021-22 school year.
“Our goal with this scholarship is to assist students in Minneapolis and St. Paul and continue our longstanding commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive accounting profession,” said Barry Melancon, president and CEO of the AICPA, in a statement.
Scholarships are open to AICPA Student Affiliate members pursuing undergraduate or graduate-level accounting degrees. To qualify, students must be pursuing CPA licensure and have completed at least 30 semester hours (or equivalent) of college coursework, including a minimum of six hours in accounting. Applicants must also submit student copies of their college transcripts, resumes, a statement explaining financial need, as well as a short essay stating what applicants see as "impactful change around racial injustice and inequity or what they feel the accounting profession can do to impact change in this area."
“The AICPA has a long history of supporting ethnic minorities, including Black and African Americans, in the accounting profession and we are always looking for opportunities to do more to help advance diversity,” said Crystal Cooke, director of diversity and inclusion for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, in a statement. “Through efforts led by our National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, we will continue to keep this important issue front and center as we work toward a profession that is more representative of the communities we serve.”
Scholarship applications are being accepted through Sept. 30, 2020. For more information, head to the scholarship's
