Don't let the April 15 deadline for VSCPA scholarship applications pass you by! Check out these great scholarship opportunities from the VSCPA Educational Foundation:

Visit each link above for eligibility requirements, selection criteria and links to the application.

New public accountants and internal auditors are in luck. Due to the increase in corporate governance initiatives, as well as competition for top accounting staff, these fields will see the strongest starting salary growth this year, according to Robert Half International's 2006 Salary Guide.

Entry-level auditors can expect average starting salary increases of 9 percent, to between $35,500 and $43,250 per year. Entry-level starting salaries for accounting professionals can expect similar growth, with small firm salaries projected to rise 6.5 percent, to between $35,500 and $42,500.

Don't forget! Starting July 1, 2006 accounting students must complete 150 hours of accounting education before sitting for the CPA Exam in Virginia. Commonly called the 150-hour rule, this requirement provides students with the opportunity to expand their accounting knowledge while gaining the effective writing, speaking and technological skills necessary for work in the CPA profession.

If you graduated in December 2005: You have until May to take the first part of the CPA Exam under the old 120-hour requirement.

If you are graduating this spring: You MUST have 150 hours of accounting education if you plan to sit for the Exam.

Check out the VSCPA brochure "What You Need to Know About the 150-Hour Rule" (.PDF) for information on what's required, frequently asked questions and more.

A company is in turmoil and the outlook is bleak. Who can lead a once-great music label back to its former glory? Why, you, of course.

In "The Turnaround Game", a free online game from StartHereGoPlaces.com, you're a CPA consultant trying to propel a major music label back into the big time. Your role is to advise the CEO on all key business issues and provide him with winning proposals. For that, you'll need all your business skills and street smarts. Think you can handle it?

StartHereGoPlaces.com contains fun information about becoming a CPA. Don't forget to check out the VSCPA's student Web site, CPAStudentZone.com, for even more resources.

A team from the College of William & Mary's Mason School of Business made history at the fourth annual Deloitte Tax Case Study National Competition in November. They were the first team to place first in both the undergraduate and graduate divisions.

The Deloitte Tax Case Study Competition, sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation, is an annual event testing problem-solving skills in taxation. Each team must complete a complex hypothetical case study in a five-hour time period, testing the students' knowledge of various tax topics, time management and teamwork skills. The finishes won William & Mary awards totaling $28,000.