As graduation season arrives across California, CalCPA has been supporting the next generation of CPAs through three key areas: helping students financially, providing guidance on their path to licensure and creating connections that help launch careers. Here’s a look at what your membership makes possible.

Meeting the Financial Need

The cost of becoming a CPA is real. Tuition, books, exam prep courses, exam fees, internships and living expenses add up quickly. This year, the CalCPA Institute awarded more than $390,000 in scholarships to 423 students across California, helping reduce financial barriers and keep the CPA path within reach.

These scholarships are made possible through the generosity of CalCPA members, firms and stakeholders who support the Institute through donations and fundraising efforts across the state. Their investment is helping open doors for the next generation of CPAs.

This year, 35 percent of scholarship recipients are community college students, reflecting CalCPA’s commitment to supporting students from every entry point into the profession. For many students, these scholarships are more than financial support. They are a sign that the profession believes in their potential and wants them to succeed.

Practical Guidance and Professional Connections

Knowing you want to become a CPA and knowing how to get there are two different things. This spring, CalCPA helped connect students with practical guidance, career insights and professional mentors through programs across the state.

At Mt. San Antonio College, CalCPA co-hosted From Community College to CPA: Your Roadmap to Success, where members from a range of firms shared advice on transferring credits, navigating recruiting and understanding different career paths in accounting.

At USC’s Leventhal School of Accounting, CalCPA partnered on Way to CPA: Pathways to Success, an immersive program helping community college students prepare for the transition to four-year programs and life as a young professional. Students gained direct access to members and professionals willing to invest in their future.

On the Central Coast, CalCPA hosted a Student Night in San Luis Obispo where students connected with young CPAs and firm leaders in a setting designed to encourage mentorship and candid conversations about the profession. For many students, especially those outside major metro areas, these events strengthen the sense that there is a place for them in the profession.

Expanding Access Through the Empowerment Grant

CalCPA is also helping students access experiences that can shape the trajectory of their careers. Through the Empowerment Grant program, more than 100 students will attend CalCPA’s marquee event, Members Club Summit in Coronado in July, where they will participate in dedicated student programming focused on learning, networking, leadership and professional development.

The Summit gives students direct access to firm leaders, professionals and emerging issues shaping the future of the profession—along with experiences and connections that cannot be replicated in a classroom setting.

Strengthening the Pipeline Across California

CalCPA continues to deepen engagement with students and educators across the state by supporting the California Board of Accountancy’s campus tour efforts, strengthening partnerships with Beta Alpha Psi chapters and maintaining ongoing engagement with accounting professors and campus leaders on nearly every major campus.

These relationships help ensure students receive timely guidance, stronger connections to the profession, and a clearer understanding of the CPA pathway.

Supporting the Next Generation

These efforts are just a snapshot of the work CalCPA’s Institute team is doing to support students and candidates across California. Through scholarships, campus outreach, licensure guidance, networking opportunities and career development programs, CalCPA is helping prepare the next generation of CPAs for successful careers.

This work is made possible by the continued support of CalCPA members, firms, chapters and stakeholders who volunteer their time, share their experiences, mentor students and invest in the future of the profession.

To support CalCPA students and candidates with scholarships and experiences, visit our website. And if you’re interested in getting involved, you can learn more about CalCPA scholarships, student membership and volunteer opportunities online.