“The PCAOB award gives me more encouragement, hope and drive to go forward with my education since it eased the burden on my family’s finances,” said Muzulu, a rising junior from Harare, Zimbabwe in the 3+1 accounting program.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 provides that funds generated from the collection of PCAOB monetary penalties must be used to fund a merit scholarship program for students in accredited accounting degree programs. The PCAOB Scholars Program was created to identify eligible students and to award funds through the students’ educational institutions.

“The auditing profession serves an important role in investor protection by helping to independently ensure the accuracy of the information public companies provide in their financial reports. The PCAOB Scholars Program supports the next generation of auditors by helping to make careers in auditing possible for the best and brightest, including for students from groups that have not been well represented in public accounting historically,” said PCAOB Chair Erica Y. Williams. “We are proud of this program, and we congratulate the students named PCAOB Scholars this year.”

The program’s goals are to benefit outstanding students who are likely to become auditors and make a difference to eligible students who might otherwise pursue a different career path. The PCAOB encourages participating colleges and universities to give special consideration to students from populations that have been historically underrepresented in the accounting profession.