Hinds Today

JACKSON, Miss. — In an effort to support a racially and ethnically diverse student population and help strengthen the pipeline of diverse CPA talent, Jackson State University has announced its collaboration with the Deloitte Foundation in the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholars Program (DFASP).

Launched in 2021, the DFASP works in parallel with \ (Making Accounting Diverse and Equitable), a $75 million commitment to fuel greater racial and ethnic diversity in accounting and tax and generate more opportunities and leadership pathways for the next generation of certified public accountants (CPAs).

The Deloitte Foundation expects to fund $30 million in scholarships for students over the next several years, including students interested in pursuing a fifth-year master’s degree in accounting, master’s of tax or master’s of accounting with a concentration in audit, advisory or tax through the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholars Program.

The Deloitte Foundation is collaborating with nearly 20 participating colleges and universities across the U.S., including Jackson State, in an effort to increase representation of racially and ethnically diverse students in these programs. DFASP participating schools and the Deloitte Foundation will cover 100% of tuition (excluding books and living expenses) for selected students.

“The Deloitte Foundation accelerates innovation and equity in education to build pathways to opportunity for the workforce of tomorrow,” said Erin Scanlon, Deloitte Foundation president. “We are very excited to bring the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholars Program to more colleges and universities this year to engage more diverse students in pursuing a career in accounting or tax.”

“The Deloitte Foundation’s support can help our students envision what a potential career in this field could mean to them,” shared Dean Fidelis Ikem, Ph.D., College of Business. “Diversity is important, it’s been proven that it improves corporate morale, and the bottom lines of businesses. It is beneficial for a company to reflect its diverse clientele.”

“As a JSU alumna and now a professor of accounting, I understand how valuable this scholarship can be in helping strengthen the JSU CPA pipeline,” explained Bobbie W. Daniels, Ph.D., CPA., interim chair of the Department of Accounting, Finance, and Entrepreneurship. “This scholarship opportunity helps to reduce one of the many barriers to entry that minority students may face in their academic pursuits. It also allows students to obtain 150 semester credit hours of education for the CPA license. We are grateful to be one of the universities selected to participate in the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholars Program.”

Applications for the 2023-2024 school year are available through March 31, 2023, with scholarships granted in 2023. Interested students should apply for admission to JSU, and then separately apply to be considered for the DFASP. Each school will select the scholarship recipients.

For more information, contact Dr. Bobbie Daniels at bobbie.w.daniels@jsums.edu, or visit the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholars Program website. 

Original source can be found here.