By Jasmine Browley
Over the next six years the Deloitte Foundation aims to pipeline funding into the $30 million scholarship program for accounting students.
The field of accounting is very white.
Nearly 84 percent of all US certified public accountants are caucasian and just 2 percent are Black, according to a report published in 2019 by the Association of International Certified Public Accountants.
In an effort to encourage a more racially diverse accounting ecosystem, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) has recently announced its collaboration with the Deloitte Foundation through the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholars Program (DFASP). This means that for the next six years, the Deloitte Foundation aims to pipeline funding into the $30 million scholarship program for students pursuing a fifth-year master’s program in accounting from select Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited colleges/universities, including Prairie View A&M University and other DFASP participating schools.
“Our Deloitte Foundation is laser-focused on driving education initiatives that help prepare the next generation of diverse business leaders,” said Erin Scanlon, Deloitte Foundation president. “We are proud to fund the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholars Program as an important step in strengthening the pipeline of next-generation CPA talent.”
Applications for the 2022-2023 school year will be collected in spring, with scholarships granted in 2022. Interested students should apply for admission to Prairie View A&M University or other participating DFASP school’s master of accounting programs following standard criteria and processes for admission, and then separately apply to be considered for the DFASP. Each participating DFASP school will select the scholarship recipients.
Dr. Munir Quddus, dean of the College of Business and professor of economics at PVAMU says this is a significant step toward pipelining diverse talent and shifting the landscape of accountancy.
“This is wonderful news,” he said in a news release. “These types of collaborations allow the college to grow enrollment in our graduate programs and offer much-needed financial support to our students. We are committed to increasing the number of professionals in the accounting profession.”
