To help business students combat the rising cost of campus-based and online college degree programs, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and staffing firm Accountemps have partnered to offer scholarships.

A total of five students will be selected to receive $2,500 scholarships, which they may use to help cover the cost of tuition for an undergraduate or masters-level degree program.

Students who are pursuing degrees in accounting, finance or information systems are eligible to apply for the awards as long as they have completed six credit hours of accounting coursework and a total of 30 credit hours. In addition, applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in both their major and general studies.

Qualified candidates can apply for the awards by submitting school transcripts, an essay describing their personal and professional goals as well as two letters of recommendation. A panel of representatives from both organizations will select the winners based on academic achievement, leadership and career goals.

April 1 is the deadline to submit application materials, and the winners will be notified by the beginning of August.