Happy Davis Foundation and Dallas ACFE Scholarships

For the last several years, the Dallas Chapter of the ACFE has partnered with the Happy Davis Foundation and Origin Bank to offer annual scholarships to Dallas-area students. Awards are finalized in May and recipients are recognized at the Chapter's annual conference in August.

2024 Scholarship Timeline

The 2024 Dallas ACFE Scholarship Application Period is now OPEN.

Please see timeline below:

Scholarship eligibility:

The current application period provides scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. Interested students must demonstrate a desire to pursue a career in fraud examination or similar anti-fraud profession, have a connection to the North Texas area, and:

• Have a declared major or minor in accounting, business administration, finance, criminal justice or other fraud-related discipline.
• Be currently enrolled full-time at an accredited, four-year college or university and be enrolled through the 2024-2025 academic year.
• Undergraduates must be enrolled in 9 semester hours (or equivalent) per term and must be a junior, senior, or at least in the second half of their sophomore year when applying.

• Graduates must be enrolled in 6 semester hours (or equivalent) per term.

Non-eligibility:

• Past scholarship award recipients
• Undergraduates not in the second half of their sophomore year
• College or university students graduating in 2024 (must be enrolled through 2025)
• ACFE chapter directors or officers

The application can be accessed here: 2024 Application for Scholarship.pdf

Please complete the attached scholarship above and email it to Sandra Franklin at franklins@qlarant.com with any questions or for more information.

Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program

The ACFE Foundation provides annual student scholarships opportunities for students who have a declared major or minor in accounting, business administration, finance or criminal justice and demonstrate a desire to pursue a career in fraud examination or similar anti-fraud profession.

The Ritchie-Jennings Memorial scholarship award amounts are $10,000, $7,500 $5,000, and $2,000. Scholarships are awarded in U.S. dollars and include a one-year ACFE Student Associate membership. Click here to view information about the scholarship and the application.

The current application period provides scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year. Interested students must demonstrate a desire to pursue a career in fraud examination or similar anti-fraud profession and:

• Have a declared major or minor in accounting, business administration, finance, criminal justice or other fraud-related discipline.
• Be currently enrolled at an accredited, four-year college or university and be enrolled through the 2025-2026 academic year.
• Undergraduates must be enrolled in 9 semester hours (or equivalent) per term and must be a junior, senior, or at least in the second half of their sophomore year when applying.
• Graduates must be enrolled in 6 semester hours (or equivalent) per term.

The scholarship schedule is as follows:

• Application Period Opens - September 9, 2024
• Application Deadline - February 7, 2025
• Recipients Announced - April 18, 2025
• Awards Distributed - May 1, 2025

Student Affiliate Memberships

The Dallas ACFE offers student memberships to those students meeting certain criteria. Membership in the National ACFE is not required to become a Student Affiliate Member of the Dallas chapter (visit acfe.com for information on discounted national memberships). Visit our Membership Application page to apply!

Cost:

$15.00 Annual Dues
$25.00 per Luncheon

Student Affiliate Qualifications:

Open to undergraduate students enrolled in at least 12 semester hours (or equivalent) or graduate students enrolled in at least 9 semester hours (or equivalent), in a college or university or equivalent. Student Affiliates cannot vote, hold office, or participate on committees.

Membership Benefits:

• Discounted rates for monthly luncheons. Non-members pay $40 per luncheon, while chapter members (including Student Affiliates) pay only $25 per luncheon.
• Networking opportunities with CFEs and other professionals in the industry.
  
• Volunteer opportunities – The Dallas ACFE is always looking for student volunteers at our annual conference. In return, we provide free access to the conference (normally $350-400), with lunch and a t-shirt included.

2022-2023 Scholarship Recipients

Mary Claire Crain
Bachelor of Business Administration; Master of Accountancy
Baylor University

Mary Claire Crain is a current Baylor student enrolled in the five-year accounting program, which will allow her to graduate in May of 2023 with both her Undergraduate and master’s degree. She has held several internships over her college career, the most recent being with Deloitte in the Houston, Texas tax office. Upon completion of her internship, she has accepted a full-time offer and will return to Houston, TX upon graduation to begin her career in public accounting. She has recently published a research paper in the IMA Cost Management Academic Journal's May/June publication. Each educational and work experience has allowed her to develop her skills and interests and expand on her knowledge of accounting and the business world, and she is excited to embark on her last year of school. She appreciates this scholarship as it means a lot to her that there are people willing to invest in her education.

Lauryn Simons
Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, and Business Fellows, Mathematics minor
Baylor University

Ashley Wilson
Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Accountancy

Baylor University

Ashley Wilson is a senior at Baylor University and will graduate in May 2023 with her BBA and Master of Accountancy. She also is the president of her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. During the summer of 2022, she had an internship working for a middle market public accounting firm in the audit department. Her future goal is to pursue a career in forensic accounting.