Aware of the lack of diversity in the accounting field and the financial struggles many transfer students face, Arizona State University and the Deloitte Foundation are committed to helping make a difference locally.

A new need-based scholarship, the Deloitte Foundation Bridge Scholarship Program, will help support student populations in Arizona and help strengthen the pipeline of diverse accountancy professionals in the Valley. The funding will provide select Maricopa Community College students with scholarships to pursue a bachelor's degree in accounting at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business.

"We wanted to make the transition from community college to our ASU accounting program more affordable for students with financial needs," said Andy Call, director of the School of Accountancy and Accountancy Professional Advisory Board Professor. "The Deloitte Foundation Bridge Program scholarships will provide increased opportunity for diverse students to pursue an accounting education and pathway to a successful career."

The Deloitte Foundation and ASU plan to provide scholarships to Maricopa Community College students to cover third- and fourth-year tuition as they pursue undergraduate degrees in accounting at W. P. Carey. This new undergraduate scholarship program seeks to provide a bridge for community college students to help them transition to an undergraduate accounting program.

"This bridge program creates pathways for youth who may face multiple barriers to be part of the next generation of business leaders in Arizona and beyond," said Ken Udenze, Arizona marketplace leader and managing partner, Deloitte LLP. "I'm proud that the Deloitte Foundation is helping to diversify the local talent pipeline and demonstrate the importance of inclusion in the accounting profession."

The effort also reflects ASU's charter, which challenges the university to evaluate itself on whom it includes and how they succeed. "I welcome different opportunities to help a variety of students enter our accountancy program," said Amy Ostrom, interim dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business and PetSmart chair in Services Leadership. "Giving students the financial assistance to get a degree and help them succeed is a core value of ASU's mission."

ASU provides relationship support for the Bridge Scholarship recipients who transfer to W. P. Carey, helping the university further advance its charter of helping all students achieve success.

"On behalf of the Academic Enterprise at ASU, I am thrilled to collaborate with the Deloitte Foundation to create a pathway that will help lead more students to attain an accounting degree," said Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost at ASU. "The program can lead students toward an in-demand career that can help benefit their lives and positively impact the state of Arizona."