Nicholls Accounting & Finance Senior Awarded $10K National Scholarship

Nicholls accounting and finance senior Tamiyah Gross was awarded a $10,000 national scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The scholarship is awarded through a nomination process and is available to students at universities based on a tier system. Nicholls’ accounting program is in group 1, which includes all regionally accredited institutions with AACSB accredited accounting programs.

Since 2011, the PCAOB has administered a scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate accounting students enrolled in accredited U.S. colleges and universities. The PCAOB Scholars Program is mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and is funded through monetary penalties collected as part of PCAOB enforcement actions. The PCAOB Scholars Program seeks to benefit students who are likely to become auditors and to make a difference to students who might otherwise choose a different career path.

Students must be selected and nominated by their institution. Some of the PCAOB Scholar eligibility criteria includes:

• Being enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate accounting program at U.S. colleges or universities
• Having an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher or being in the top 1/3 of their overall class
• Demonstrating high ethical standards and a financial need

Dr. Kevin Breaux, Nicholls accounting and finance department head and professor of accounting, nominated Tamiyah. Dr. Breaux said, “Tamiyah is an outstanding student with an overall 4.0 GPA, double majoring in both accounting and finance. She is always engaged in class discussions and frequently helps her fellow classmates to understand the content. Outside of the classroom, Tamiyah participates in several events on campus to raise awareness of the accounting profession along with participating in events designed to help recruit high school students to our campus, but more specifically, to our accounting program,”

Outside of her studies, Tamiyah maintains a campus job in the recreation center, works as an audit intern for a regional accounting firm and is actively involved in the Chi Alpha Campus Ministry. She volunteers her time coaching recreational volleyball and is a community church worship leader. Upon graduation in May of 2024, Tamiyah plans on obtaining her CPA license, attending graduate school and pursuing a successful career in auditing.

The PCAOB Scholars Program is merit-based, but the PCAOB encourages educational institutions to give special consideration to students from populations that have been historically underrepresented in the accounting profession.

The AACSB-accredited Accounting program at Nicholls positively impacts the social and economic vitality of the program’s service area and beyond by positioning students to successfully meet workforce development needs as well-educated, responsible, and engaged Accounting professionals. To learn more, click here.