Math speaks to you. Others might look at a budget or tax report and get lost in a jumble. You can parse numerical trends to find the story a spreadsheet tells. Now, you’ve decided to put your interest in numbers to lucrative use by earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting. The accounting field is stable in both salary and opportunities. Whether you’ve already chosen your accounting program or still need advice about which university will suit your needs best, you know that with the rising cost of education, you’ll need all the help you can get to pay for school. Scholarships can make a big impact on the affordability of your accounting degree.
30 Scholarships and Grants for Accounting Students
Alongside an abundance of broader scholarships, this list is tailored to majors in the financial fields. Many entries are sourced from societies of CPAs from various states. These societies, along with organizations for accountants who are members of minority groups and the AICPA, are likely to be integral resources in your long-term career. The Beta Alpha Phi fraternity is also a fertile ground for professional connections. Most universities offer scholarships for their colleges of business students but often handle such matters internally. If you don’t see your preferred school on this list, don’t worry. Check for scholarships and grants with your institution after you’ve been accepted.
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General Scholarships for Online Accounting Students
Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance Foundation Scholarships
- Amount: Varies
- Eligibility: This is a scholarship for women pursuing financial degrees. An essay, resume, transcript, and completed application form are required for eligibility, but an endorsement from a member of the alliance will increase your chances of acceptance. Opens January 2024.
- Deadline: TBA 2024
AGA National Academic Scholarships
- Amount: $3,000
- Eligibility: Those pursuing graduate or undergraduate studies in accounting, economics, finance, information systems/ technology, or public administration may apply. Requirements to be determined upon opening in March of 2024.
- Deadline: June 11, 2024
AICPA Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students
- Amount: $3,000–$10,000
- Eligibility: Applicants must be an ethnic minority pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in accounting with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident planning to pursue CPA licensure. Opens December 1, 2023.
- Deadline: March 15, 2024.
- Amount: $1,000
- Eligibility: Awarded to undergraduate women attending two-year community colleges planning to transfer to a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s in accounting. Ethnic minorities prioritized. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to apply. Opens January 1st 2024.
- Deadline: April 30, 2024
BMO Capital Markets Lime Connect Equity Through Education Scholarship
- Amount: $10,000 for U.S. universities, $5,000 for Canadian universities
- Eligibility: Awarded to undergraduate or grad students living with a disability and pursuing a degree in a financial service-related discipline full-time at an accredited university. A resume, transcript, essay, and letter of recommendation are needed to apply.
- Deadline: March 28, 2024
Deloitte Foundation Scholarship
- Amount: $2,500
- Eligibility: Open to undergraduates majoring in accounting, business, data or business analytics, cybersecurity, statistics, and related fields at a Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities member institution. Must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent legal residents, or part of the DACA program.
- Deadline: July 3, 2024
Dwight P. Jacobus Scholarships
- Amount: $1,000
- Eligibility: This is a scholarship for residents of Maryland who are enrolled full time in the school of business at an accredited university in the state of Maryland. Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. An essay, transcript, and Student Aid Report required.
- Deadline: March 1, 2024
- Amount: $2,000, 1 year student membership to IMA, CMA exam entrance fee, and exam registration fee.
- Eligibility: The Institute of Management Accountants is funding two scholarships for women who are working toward a bachelor’s of accounting. Applicants must be U.S. citizens with minimum GPAs of 3.0. Opens January 1, 2024.
- Deadline: April 30, 2024
EFWA Undergraduate Scholarships
- Amount: $1,000–2,500
- Eligibility: The Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting offers scholarships for women working towards a bachelor’s in accounting full time at accredited universities or colleges. Applicants may be incoming freshmen or students returning to school. Opens January 1, 2024.
- Deadline: April 30th 2024
Gulab Goodness Accounting Students Scholarship Program
- Amount: $5,000
- Eligibility: This scholarship is for undergraduate students majoring in accounting at an accredited university in a four-year program. Minimum GPA of 3.0 required. Must be a citizen or permanent resident of U.S., U.K., Australia, or Canada.
- Deadline: January 1, 2024
- Amount: $1,500–$10,000
- Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled full time in an accredited institution and pursuing a degree related to facility management or related fields. U.S. students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. International students must have the equivalent of 4.0 GPA. Opens January 5, 2024.
- Deadline: May 2024
- Amount: $7,500
- Eligibility: This scholarship is for a full-time undergraduate college junior or senior accounting major that has expressed an intent to take the CMA exam. Applicants must be IMA members with a minimum GPA of 3.5. Additional requirements can be found on the IMA site.
- Deadline: March 10, 2024
International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association Scholarship
- Amount: $5,000
- Eligibility: A scholarship for current college sophomores, juniors, seniors, and grad students pursuing a degree in urban planning or transportation-related fields (includes accounting). A minimum GPA of 2.5 and two letters of recommendation required. International students may apply. Opens February 2024.
- Deadline: April 2024
Larry Hicks Memorial Scholarship
- Amount: $2,000
- Eligibility: Awarded to one current college student living in the service area of Salt River Electric who is pursuing a degree in finance or accounting at an accredited university. A recent transcript and essay are required to apply.
- Deadline: April 14, 2024
- Amount: $2,500
- Eligibility: Available to New York residents enrolled in a four-year accounting program at a university in New York. Must be a U.S. citizen and member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants to apply.
- Deadline: TBA 2024
National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) Scholarship
- Amount: Varies
- Eligibility: Available to Black or African American accounting students enrolled in a two-year college or four-year university. All applicants must be active members of NABA. Opens January 9, 2024.
- Deadline: February 15, 2024
NAWC New Jersey Scholarship Program
- Amount: $5,000
- Eligibility: High School students that will be attending a New Jersey college or university and are interested in the water utility industry or related industries (such as finance, accounting, human resources, or biology) may be awarded. Three letters of recommendation are required.
- Deadline: May 2024
New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants College Scholarship Program
- Amount: $2,000-$6,500, multiple awards
- Eligibility: New Jersey residents majoring in accounting at a New Jersey university. Open to college sophomores, juniors, seniors, and grad students with a minimum GPA of 3.2. A 500-word essay, resume or CV, and academic transcript are needed to apply.
- Deadline: January 8, 2024
Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program
- Amount: Up to $10,000, multiple awards
- Eligibility: A scholarship for college sophomores, juniors, seniors, and grad students majoring in anti-fraud fields full time in an accredited university, accounting programs included.
- Deadline: February 5, 2024
SILA Foundation Post-Secondary College Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Eligibility: Full time undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in programs related to insurance and security industries at accredited institutions may be awarded. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. A letter of reference and transcript are needed to apply. Opens on April 1, 2024.
- Deadline: May 31, 2024
Soar to Success Accounting Scholarship
- Amount: $500
- Eligibility: A scholarship for students pursuing a degree in accounting with good grades, leadership skills, and commitment to the profession. You must be a U.S. citizen with a minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA. A CV, letter of recommendation, and transcript required.
- Deadline: May 15, 2024
South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountant Scholarship
- Amount: $500–$2,500
- Eligibility: Open to full time undergraduate upperclassmen or grad students studying accounting at a South Carolina university. Minimum GPA of 3.0. An essay, transcript, student aid review, two letters of recommendation, a resume, and more are required. Opens December 1, 2023.
- Deadline: May 31, 2024
Surgent Scholarship for Higher Education
- Amount: $2,500 and free exam prep course
- Eligibility: Open to students currently majoring in accounting or finance at an accredited university in the U.S. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. A current transcript and video required to apply.
- Deadline: April 30, 2024
Tennessee Society of CPAs Educational and Memorial Foundation Scholarships
- Amount: $500–$2,500
- Eligibility: Tennessee residents enrolled as a graduate or undergraduate in accounting or finance at a four-year Tennessee college or university may apply. Applicants must have completed introductory accounting courses and intend to take the CPA exam. A letter of recommendation and other supplemental materials to be determined when the scholarship opens on December 1, 2024.
- Deadline: June 2024
Wells Fargo American Indian Scholarship
- Amount: $2,500–$5,000
- Eligibility: American Indian and Alaskan Native students enrolled at an accredited institution full time as a college junior, senior, or grad student in programs related to the business, gaming, or hospitality fields may apply to this scholarship. Applicants must be a member of a federally or state-recognized tribe or Alaska Native group.
- Deadline: June 2024
- Amount: $2,000
- Eligibility: Awarded to women who are the primary source of family support who are entering into their sophomore year of a bachelors in accounting program at an accredited college or university. Must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Opens January 1, 2024.
- Deadline: April 30th 2024
Women in Transition Scholarship
- Amount: $4,000
- Eligibility: Awarded to women who are primary family breadwinners and seeking a bachelor’s in accounting as incoming freshmen. Must be a U.S. citizen with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and evidence of a commitment to a financial career. Opens January 1, 2024.
- Deadline: April 30, 2024
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School-Based Scholarships for Accounting Students
(Baker College) Taylor/ Greystone Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Eligibility: Juniors and seniors enrolled full time at Baker College pursuing a bachelor’s degree business administration or cybersecurity are invited to apply. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and must show evidence of community leadership.
- Deadline: May 1, 2024
(Indiana State University) Antoinette M. Srajn Scholarship
- Amount: Varies
- Eligibility: This is a scholarship for students taking accounting courses at Indiana State University. Preference will be given to female students.
- Deadline: March 1, 2024
(University of Toledo) Kinsey Determination Scholarship for the College of Business
- Amount: Varies
- Eligibility: This scholarship is awarded to full-time undergraduates in the College of Business at Toledo University. Applicants must be male, raised by a single mother, and have spent the majority of their lives without a father or male guardian.
- Deadline: TBA 2024
Key Ways to Increase Your Chances of Earning an Accounting Scholarship
There are things you can do to make your scholarship application stand out from the rest. Most of them are common sense, but others are less well-known but just as important, because they are the factors scholarship committees look at when choosing winners. You can learn about the financial aid process in greater depth, along with federal grants, but these five steps will help your application shine.
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Highlight Community Involvement & Extracurriculars
Recipients of scholarships are people who are well rounded beyond the good grades mandated by a scholarship’s minimum GPA requirement. Detailing extracurriculars such as sports, societies, and clubs can showcase your versatility as a baseline for a first impression. Volunteer work, community service, and other charitable initiatives highlight your commitment to service. If you’ve started any movements or programs to give back to your community, especially in a way that’s personal to you, that will make you even more attractive. Describe your role in these activities so that the donors know you are an applicant who cares about their community.
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Write an Impactful Essay or Personal Statement
Scholarship essays must be well written to pass muster. Prompts reflect the needs and values of the donor foundations, so make sure your essay addresses them. Generalized statements are the enemy of clarity, so use distinctive anecdotes and specific examples in your essay. Present yourself as a budding professional by checking your spelling and grammar. A thesaurus can help avoid word repetition. Finally, before submitting your work, read it out loud. Not only will you discover errors that have eluded your computer, your ear will also find mistakes that your brain would’ve missed while reading silently.
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Showcase What Makes You Unique
If an organization is going to invest in you, they want to know who you are beyond the numbers. Show them the highlight reel of all that makes you unique. Your life experiences, conquered challenges, passions, idiosyncrasies, odd hobbies, and dreams for the future are all aspects that will distinguish you from the sea of applicants. Tell the reviewers your story in a way that makes you look appealing. Then, bring that narrative back to your intentions to pursue your degree and ambitions for your long-term career. Begin your essays with your portrait and end them with your game plan.
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Source Solid Letters of Recommendation
Most scholarships require at least one letter of recommendation, so make sure to identify people willing to vouch for your character and competency. These letters can be from any mentor that has watched you grow and develop as a person and future professional. Letters from people in the field the scholarship pertains to will increase your chances of awards. Ask your mentors if they’re willing to write these letters, don’t just email them the link out of nowhere. Informing them of your goals and the scholarship’s objective will help them make their letters more specific to the reviewer’s expectations.
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Follow Directions and Submit Early
Not following a scholarship’s requirements will result in disqualification. There are no grace periods or deadline exceptions in financial aid applications. Forgetting a required document or filling out a form incorrectly shows that you don’t care enough about your application to read the directions the foundation has set out. The donors will return your disregard. Conversely, turning in a fully completed application well before the deadline is a solid method of making a good first impression. Think of your application as a first day on a job: show up on time and dress appropriately. You’re trying to get paid.