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Thinking about studying business? You’re not alone.
Business continues to be the most commonly anticipated
major among first-year college students, according to a
study by the University of California at Los Angeles
(UCLA). Two associations—Future Business Leaders of
America–Phi Beta Lambda, Inc. and DECA, Inc.—can help
to prepare enterprising students in high school and
college. Future Business Leaders assists students who have
an interest in business and business-related fields. DECA
caters to students and teachers of marketing, management,
and entrepreneurship. Both offer leadership training,
networking opportunities, and competitions, scholarships,
and awards.
To find out if these associations have chapters at your
school, check with an administrator or business teacher or
contact the organizations directly: Future Business
Leaders of America–Phi Beta Lambda, 1912 Association
Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1591; toll free 1 (800) FBLA-WIN
(325-2946); www.fbla-pbl.org. DECA Inc., 1908
Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191; (703) 860-5000; www.deca.org.
The UCLA study, "American Freshman: National Norms
for Fall, 2002," is sponsored by the American Council
on Education and the Graduate School of Education and
Information Studies at UCLA as part of a longitudinal
study that began in fall 1966. For more information, see
the press release at www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/02_press_release.pdf
or contact UCLA GSE&IS, Moore Hall, Box
951521, 405 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521;
(310) 825-1925.
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Nearly two-thirds of high school students who
graduated in the spring of 2002 headed back to school—postsecondary
school, that is—in the fall. A greater proportion of
female than of male graduates (68 and 62 percent,
respectively) set off for college campuses and thus
continued a recent trend: college attendance rates for
young women have been higher than those for young men
nearly every year since the late 1980s.
These and other data about high school graduates
come from an October supplement to the Current
Population Survey. For more information, request the
"College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2002
High School Graduates" news release, available
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2
Massachusetts Ave. NE., Washington, DC 20212-0001;
(202) 691-5200. The news release is also online via
links at www.bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.toc.htm.
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Ten organizations have joined forces to assist the
workforce-development community with issues affecting the
employment of young people with disabilities. The National
Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth comprises
organizations that have expertise in disability, education,
employment, and workforce-development issues.
The collaborative, which is funded by a grant from the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy,
strives to ensure that young people with disabilities have full
access to high-quality services in integrated settings. To
accomplish this mission, the collaborative focuses on supporting
State and local
policies that promote full access, strengthening services
provided by the workforce development system, and increasing the
awareness, knowledge, skills, and abilities of those responsible
for providing direct services. Collaborative members include the
Center for Workforce Development at the Institute for
Educational Leadership, the National Association of Workforce
Boards, and the Learn, Earn and Work Project at the National
Conference of State Legislatures.
For more information, contact NCWD/Youth, c/o Institute for
Educational Leadership, 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW., Suite 310,
Washington, DC 20036; toll free 1 (877) 871-0744; www.ncwd-youth.info.
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If you have an affinity for night creatures, Bat
Conservation International offers a scholarship
opportunity you might want to swoop down on.
The nonprofit organization sponsors research by
college students who have an interest in
bat-conservation issues. Its scholarship program makes
individual awards, primarily for graduate student
research, of $1,000 to $2,500. Recipients are selected
through a process of peer review.
To apply, students must complete a form and submit a
research proposal, curriculum vitae, and three letters
of recommendation from academic or conservation biology
professionals. Materials must be received by December
15, the standing deadline for scholarships awarded for
the following year, but students are encouraged to
submit their applications well before then.
For more information, contact Bat Conservation
International, Scholarship Program, PO Box 162603,
Austin, TX 78716; (512) 327-9721; www.batcon.org (on
the menu at the left on the homepage, click on "Get
Involved," then "Scholarships").
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Undergraduates who study accounting may be able to
improve their own balance sheets. The National Society
of Accountants, the National Association of Black
Accountants, and the Association of Latino Professionals
in Finance and Accounting offer scholarships to
qualified undergraduates, as follows.
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The National Society of Accountants awards about 40
scholarships each year to selected undergraduate
accounting majors who maintain a B average or higher.
Individual awards for students entering their second
year are generally about $500, and those for
prospective third- and fourth-year students are about
$1,000. Interested students should submit an
application, recommendations, and an official college
transcript (first-year students also need a high
school transcript) by March 10, 2004. For more
information, contact the NSA Scholarship Foundation,
1010 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1574; 1
(800) 966-6679 (toll free) or (703) 549-6400; www.nsacct.org.
The National
Association of Black Accountants, Inc., annually
awards to ethnic minorities more than 40 scholarships
nationwide. Amounts range from $500 to $6,000.
Applicants must be enrolled full-time in either an
undergraduate accounting, finance, or business program
or a graduate accountancy program. Applicants must
meet minimum GPA requirements (3.3 for most
scholarships, 2.5 for some) and be members of the
association. Membership dues are $20 for
undergraduates and $120 for graduate students. An
application, official transcript, student-aid report,
resume, and personal biography must be postmarked by
December 31, the standing deadline for scholarships
awarded for the following year. For more information,
or to obtain an application, contact the National
Association of Black Accountants, Inc., 7249-A Hanover
Parkway, Greenbelt, MD 20770; (301) 474-NABA (6222); www.nabainc.org.
- The Association
of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting offers
scholarships to full-time undergraduate and graduate
students of Hispanic descent who are majoring in
accounting, finance, or a related field. Last year’s
awards were for $1,250 or more and required that
applicants have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Information about
next year’s awards will be available in February 2004.
For more information, contact the Association of Latino
Professionals in Finance and Accounting, 510 W. Sixth
St., Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90014; (213) 243-0004; www.alpfa.org.
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