677 Students Named PCAOB Scholars for the 2026-2027 Academic Year

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) today announced that 677 students, nominated by their U.S. colleges and universities, have been selected to each receive a $15,000 merit-based scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year.  

“As a career choice, accounting offers students an opportunity to enter an innovative, technology-driven field that helps protect investors and build trust in our capital markets,” said PCAOB Chairman Demetrios (Jim) Logothetis. “We congratulate this year’s PCAOB Scholars, who have shown already that they have what it takes to become leaders in the profession and gatekeepers in financial reporting.” 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 provides that funds from the collection of PCAOB monetary penalties must be used to fund a merit scholarship program for students in accredited accounting degree programs. Since launching its Scholars Program in 2011, the PCAOB has awarded nearly $53 million in scholarships to nearly 4,300 recipients. The total amount awarded this year is over $10 million. 

The program’s overarching goals are to (1) benefit outstanding students who are likely to become auditors and (2) make a difference to eligible students who might otherwise pursue a different career path. Scholarship recipients are nominated by their respective institutions, which participate in the PCAOB Scholars Program based on their accreditation and the number of students they graduate with accounting degrees each year.  

A full description of the program — including information on the nomination process, the selection of nominating institutions, and other details — can be found on the PCAOB Scholars Program page. All participating institutions, along with the students named PCAOB Scholars for the 2026-2027 academic year, are listed here.  

For a “by the numbers” look at the PCAOB Scholars Program in 2026, see the accompanying fact sheet.

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About the PCAOB

The PCAOB is a nonprofit corporation established by Congress to oversee the audits of public companies in order to protect investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate, and independent audit reports. The PCAOB also oversees the audits of brokers and dealers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including compliance reports filed pursuant to federal securities laws.