Forensic Accounting Scholarships
Study to Become the New CSI CPA
In the world of ultra-accounting, CPA is the new CSI. Forensic Accounting is suddenly cutting a trendy new course into what was once considered the realm of pocket-protectors and nerds.
Uber-Accounting
Forensic Accounting is akin to accounting on steroids. An accountant with forensic training is able to expertly recreate some of the more white-collar crimes, such as money laundering, fraud, racketeering. While this sounds romantic and adventurous, the forensic accountant must adhere to a critical level of anal-retentive. Add to this legal procedures and meticulous standards of collection, nit-picky record-keeping and the ability to process as carefully as a CSI.
Scholarship Criteria
You'll quickly find that many of the scholarships for forensic accounting are awarded to those students who have at least attained a junior year of study. It is at this point in a college program that career goals have been well-formed. Because forensic accounting is so specialized and relatively new, there are few real majors in the field. As a result most scholarships are given to accounting majors whose career goals and academic track have set a course suited for forensics.
Scholarships
The Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants funds an essay competition annually that gives monetary awards to the top three essays. The top prize is $1500 and the award money goes to those students pursuing a career in forensic accounting.
BYU Hawaii's School of Business offers a Forensic Accounting Scholarship for full-time students in accounting or a related major. Students must have demonstrated intent to pursue forensic accounting post-graduation. Maximum awards are $1,000.
The University of Alabama-Birmingham, UAB School of Business sponsors the following fistful of scholarships in forensic accounting. Students must be in their junior or senior year of studies and have made program-related decisions that logically lead them to forensics:
- The ACL Forensic Scholarship awards deserving students up to $1,000.
- The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners sponsors a small scholarship award of $500.
- Candidates for the Forensic CPA's LLP Scholarships must have high GPAs in order to be eligible for the $2,000 scholarships.
- The Summerford Forensic Accounting Scholarship kicks in up to $3,000 for the right students.
The accounting program at Champlain College allows students to compete for generous forensic accounting scholarships funded by partner businesses.
Forensic Accounting students frequently pursue associated programs in litigation and fraud examination, even criminal justice.
