Students level up through 150 hours of new experiences.

TLDR:

Key Points:

• Thirty-eight accounting students are participating in the Experience, Earn & Learn program to fulfill the 150-credit requirement for CPA licensure.
• Students take online courses through Tulane University’s School of Professional Advancement for $150 per credit hour, making the program affordable.

Article Summary:

The Experience, Earn & Learn (ELE) program, launched by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), aims to help accounting graduates complete the 150-credit requirement for CPA licensure in an affordable and flexible way. The program, which recruits accounting graduates through their firms, provides online courses through Tulane University’s School of Professional Advancement at a cost of $150 per credit hour.

The 150-credit requirement, introduced in 1988, has been a hurdle for many accountants seeking their CPA license and has contributed to the ongoing labor shortage in the profession. The goal of the ELE program is to remove barriers to a successful career in accounting by providing a practical and cost-effective pathway for students to earn the necessary credits while gaining hands-on experience in a firm.

Students in the program, like Clinton Strobel and Thomas MacGregor from Wipfli, have found the coursework manageable and appreciate the flexibility of asynchronous online classes. The program also allows for working professionals like Stephen Sawyer from McLeod Ascanio to balance their job responsibilities while completing the additional credits required for licensure.

Overall, the ELE program has been well-received by students and firms alike, offering a solution to the challenge of meeting the 150-credit requirement for CPA licensure in a way that is accessible and practical for accounting graduates.