Chapter Matching Funds

The Scholarship and Support Committee of the Educational Foundation offers chapters the opportunity to award their own scholarships through the Matching Funds Program. Each chapter can submit funds, up to $2,000, that will be matched by The Educational Foundation 50 cents on the dollar. The combined total is then returned to the chapter to be used for scholarships to students and/or financial support to local college and university accounting programs.

The deadline for requests for this allocation is December 31, 2010 (no exceptions). The program is simple: the Foundation will match your chapter's contribution 50 cents on the dollar up to the budgeted amount. For example: A $2,000 contribution will provide $3,000 in funds that can be used for scholarships to students and financial support to college and university accounting programs.

Suggested Requirements for Awarding Scholarships

The following are requirements used by the Educational Foundation in regards to scholarship eligibility. Chapters may elect to use these requirements as guidelines in selecting scholarship participants.

1. Resident of the state of Georgia ;
2. Enrolled during the period the scholarship funds are to be used in an accounting program at an accredited senior college or university;
3. Enrolled in a minimum of six semester hours
   (ten quarter hours) beyond the sophomore level during the period scholarship funds are to be used; and
4. Maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or above or an accounting grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or above.

How can scholarship funds be used?

Student Scholarships: Students may use the scholarship for tuition, books, room and board, supplies and other expenses associated with the cost of their education. An Educational Foundation Scholarship Award will not reduce a student's HOPE Scholarship award.  

Institutional Support: College programs frequently need software and hardware or other equipment that are not funded through their college budgets. The Education Foundation would like to help assist the programs in your area acquire and maintain the latest technology for use in preparing students for careers in our profession. Institutional support may be provided even if you are not able to award any student scholarships.

All matching grants MUST be for scholarships and/or accounting department support at degree granting institutions. The Foundation will not match funds for support of technical schools.

How do we apply for matching funds?

Complete instructions are provided in the document entitled “Chapter Procedures for Providing Scholarships.”

How do students apply for our scholarships?

A copy of a scholarship application, which you may personalize and distribute, will be mailed to you. Please be sure to adjust your chapter name, address and deadline on the application. If you would like an electronic version of this document, please email Shannon Cannon. As you will notice, these applications have an area for students to list a chapter with which they are applying for a scholarship. If you elect to distribute these applications, the Educational Foundation staff liaison will receive all completed applications and mail them to your chapter's scholarship committee. Please note the deadline for these scholarships is March 15, 2011. If you need additional applications, please contact Shannon Cannon at 404-504-2937. All applications received by the Society office that do not denote a specific chapter, will be included in the Educational Foundation's direct Scholarship program.

How else can my chapter aid in providing scholarships to qualified accounting students?

Please encourage each member of your chapter to contribute to the 2010-2011 Annual Giving Campaign to support the Foundation. Member support of this program has declined over the past few years. The Foundation has committed to support this program again this year. However, without the support of our members, continuation of this program may not be possible in future years.

 Together we can make great things happen!

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Shannon Cannon, GSCPA sections coordinator, at 404-504-2937.