Beta Alpha Psi, the honorary organization for financial information students and professionals, and the AICPA are teaming up again this year to offer a sponsorship program designed to inspire greatness in future accounting professionals. An advisory board will select up to three winners and each will receive a cash scholarship of $5,000 and a Medal of Inspiration Award.

In releasing the news, Beta Alpha Psi, which encourages and recognizes scholastic excellence, said their members are already good students with strong GPAs who contribute to their communities through service and are committed to professional ideals and ethics. The goal of the program, which is funded by the AICPA, is to turn them into great students.

Students can win in two ways. One is by having experienced extreme hardship in their lives in pursuing their education and, despite adversity, they have demonstrated an unusually high level of success. They may also win by having accomplished something inspirational that had a tremendous impact on another's life.

Any student currently enrolled as a junior, senior, or graduate student is eligible to be nominated. The deadline for submitting nominees is May 1, 2009.

Beta Alpha Psi was founded in 1919 and now 279 chapters are on college and university campuses. Since the organization's formation, more than 300,000 members have been initiated. You can download a scholarship application.