AICPA Now Accepting Applicants to George Willie Scholarship Program

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is now accepting applications for the Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) George Willie Ethnically Diverse Student Scholarship and Internship program.

The George Willie scholarship program provides a scholarship and paid internship to ten ethnic minority accounting students who intend to pursue their CPA licensure. Each student receives up to $10,000 (USD) toward their final academic year tuition.

Ten PCPS member firms will each sponsor a student for an internship during the 2023 busy season. The participating member firms are:

BBD, LLP – Philadelphia, PA
Bernard Robinson & Company, LLP – Greensboro, NC
Blackman & Scoop, CPAs, PA – Chapel Hill, NC
Brown, Edwards, & Company LLP – Roanoke, VA
Lance CPA Group – Chicago, IL
Lurie, LLP – Minneapolis, MN
Novogradac & Company LLP – San Francisco, CA
REDW – Albuquerque, NM
Smith Patrick CPA – Webster Groves, MO
Tonneson + CO – Wakefield, MA

This program was created in honor of George Willie, CPA, CGMA, a former chair of AICPA’s PCPS Executive Committee and the AICPA Minority Initiatives Committee. During his more than 35-year career, Willie has promoted the benefits of a career in accounting to students and young professionals in pursuit of the CPA license.

The George Willie scholarship program is open to racial and ethnic minority students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in accounting or an accounting-related major. Students interested in the program can visit aicpa.org/pcpsscholarship for full eligibility requirements, selection criteria and more. Applications are currently open, with a deadline of April 30, 2022.

“The George Willie scholarship program helps identify talented minorities while also developing a pipeline between students and firms, ultimately increasing diversity in the profession,” says Ronald Atkins II, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at the AICPA. “The AICPA has and continues to dedicate time, effort, and resources to helping minorities with their pursuit of becoming CPA’s.”

The AICPA is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the profession, and this program is one of ways the AICPA is working to broaden the pipeline of talent entering the profession. The U.S. census projects that minorities will comprise the majority of the population in the U.S. by 2045. A more diverse and inclusive profession will be better equipped to address the shifts in entrepreneurial capital that will result from these changing demographics. In addition, studies have shown that businesses that are more diverse perform better than their peers.

The George Willie scholarship program is one of several scholarships, awards and programs from the AICPA to help promote diversity, equity and inclusion. The Accounting Scholars Leadership Workshop is an annual event underwritten by the AICPA Foundation for racial and ethnic minority students to strengthen their professional and networking skills while helping them understand the possibilities and benefits of a career in accounting and earning the CPA credential. Additionally, the AICPA Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students, part of the AICPA Legacy Scholars program, provides funding to outstanding minority students studying accounting.