The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has announced its 2018-19 merit-based scholarships, annually awarded to accounting students looking to pursue a career in audit.

This year, the PCAOB has designated one $10,000 scholarship to be awarded to one student each at 332 colleges and universities across the country.

The scholarships are made possible by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which states that monetary penalties imposed by the PCAOB in its disciplinary proceedings can be used to fund merit scholarships students in accredited accounting degree programs. This year marks the eighth year of the program.

“I applaud these students as they pursue an education in accounting and auditing,” stated PCAOB chairman William Duhnke.

Participating colleges and universities will nominate a scholarship recipient from their accounting degree programs, with a special emphasis on students that have been historically underrepresented in the accounting profession.

To qualify, students must:

• Be enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s degree program in accounting at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university;
• Demonstrate interest and aptitude in accounting and auditing;
• Demonstrate high ethical standards;
• Not be a PCAOB employee, child or spouse of a PCAOB employee.

For a full list of colleges and universities with 2018-19 scholarship recipients, head to the PCAOB’s site here.