NJCPA Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants

The NJCPA Scholarship Fund is offering $1,500 scholarships for a one-year period to New Jersey high school seniors who are college-bound and have plans to major in accounting or pursue an accounting concentration that includes at least 24 accounting credits.

Along with the scholarship, the recipients will also be assigned NJCPA mentors to guide them throughout their college journey. These mentors will be available to answer any queries about the student's academic path, the accounting profession, and the CPA exam. The mentoring program aims to support the upcoming generation of accounting professionals.

Before you proceed with the application form, please ensure to:

Compose a 450-500-word essay on the given topic. Your essay should be pasted into the application form for submission. Please avoid including any personal identifiers like your name or school in your essay. The essay will be evaluated based on the following criteria: adherence to the word limit, originality of content, dedication to becoming a CPA, and grammar, language, and organization. An outstanding essay will clearly and accurately answer the question, cover all requested topics, be unique, creative, and engaging, demonstrate sophisticated language and vocabulary use, and indicate a deep understanding of the accounting profession. The candidate should express enthusiasm about their potential achievements as a CPA.

Topic: By citing personal examples, what inspired you to choose accounting?

Review and agree to the rules below.

Rules

1. Eligibility

   This scholarship is designed for college-bound high school seniors who plan to major in accounting or pursue an accounting concentration that includes at least 24 accounting credits. Applicants must:

   1. Be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident, and a NJ resident attending a NJ public, parochial/private or home school high school.
   2. Possess a cumulative three-year GPA of 3.2 or above OR a minimum total SAT score* (combined evidence-based reading and writing plus math) of 1260 OR minimum composite ACT score of 26. School transcripts and test scores should be submitted via mail, email or fax. A screenshot of test scores is acceptable.
   3. Plan to enroll in a U.S. college/university in the upcoming fall semester. Students planning to attend a two-year college must submit a letter of intent signed by the student and a parent or legal guardian indicating that the student intends to obtain a four-year degree as an accounting major or pursue an accounting concentration that includes at least 24 accounting credits at a four-year college/university after completing studies at the two-year college.

2. Application Deadline

   Applications must be fully completed and received by 11:59 p.m. December 8, 2025. A completed application includes:

   1. Online application with all required fields filled out.
   2. Application essay, submitted online without any identifying information (e.g., your name, your school).
   3. Guidance Department Form including student grade point average, standardized test score, guidance counselor name and signature, submitted by the student’s guidance counselor via mail, email or fax.
   4. Copy of SAT or ACT score results, submitted via mail, email or fax. A screenshot of test scores is acceptable.

   All components must be received by midnight December 8, 2025 for the application to be considered complete. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the NJCPA if confirmation of receipt is not received within three (3) business days of submission.

3. Required Interview

   All finalists will be notified by January 5, 2026. Finalists are required to participate in a brief virtual interview on Saturday, January 17, 2026. There will be no alternative date.

4. Inquiries

   The NJCPA Student Programs and Scholarship Committee will answer any questions regarding eligibility, participation or selection of winners. The committee’s decisions are final in all cases. Questions about the scholarship program can be directed to Pam Isenburg via email.

5. Notification of Results

   Scholarship winners will be notified in early March 2026. A list of all recipients will be available at njcpa.org/scholarship.

6. Duplicate Scholarships

   If a scholarship recipient also receives a scholarship from another source, which would be forfeited as a result of winning an NJCPA Scholarship, the Student Programs and Scholarship Committee may, upon the recipient’s request, withdraw or reduce the amount of the award.

7. Award Disbursement and Terms

   The scholarship payment will be made directly to the college or university. The payment is dependent upon the submission of the Scholarship Activation Form.