Finance Department Awards and Scholarships
Each year the Finance Department makes recommendations to the Eller College Undergraduate Program Office for consideration for scholarships, the Fielding-Singh Award as well as for the outstanding graduating Finance senior. The department may also award the Finance Department Head's Award for Academic Distinction to a graduating senior.
Additionally, the department works in conjunction with the CFA Institute and CAIA to award a few scholarships to students taking the qualifying exams each year.
Criteria for Nomination
There are a number of requisites for nominating Finance majors for scholarships, the Fielding-Singh Award and for Outstanding Senior Award, including:
- Grade Point Average
- Difficulty of the courses taken
- Institution where courses were taken
- Honors courses taken
- Faculty-student interaction
- Participation in departmental, college and community program
Awards
The Outstanding Graduating Senior nomination will depend on the criteria detailed aove as well as:
- Leadership activities
- Involvement in finance department student organizations
- Service activities
The recipient of the Finance Department Outstanding Senior will be automatically considered for the Eller College Outstanding Senior award. Winner of the Eller College Outstanding Senior is a candidate for The University of Arizona Outstanding Senior Award.
In general, when a student is a double-major and is being nominated as the outstanding student in another department, that student will not be considered for the Finance Department award.
A graduating senior who excelled academically in the Finance major program may be selected as recipient of the Finance Department Head's Award for Academic Distinction for the semester.
In April 2006, Arvind Singh, Director, International Programs in Finance, and his wife, Cynthia Fielding-Singh, made their first award gift to the Department of Finance. This annual gift is designated to encourage and reward undergraduate Finance majors. Awards are made to seniors graduating during the current year. Selection will include an interview with the Fielding-Singh Award selection committee of three Finance Department members.
Scholarships
Some scholarships are granted by the college as a whole and some scholarships have specific requirements that will be matched to student characteristics. Though nominations are made by the Finance Department, the final decision on scholarship recipients rests with a college-wide nominating committee.
The University of Arizona Finance Department participates in the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program. The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute provides program scholarships that “contribute to the CFA Institute mission of promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence. CFA Institute currently offers two types of scholarship opportunities.” (https://www.cfainstitute.org/programs/scholarships/Pages/index.aspx)
Access Scholarships
The CFA Program Access Scholarship is a needs-based opportunity for those unable to afford the full price of the enrollment and registration fees. The online application is available from 1 March – 15 September, for exams offered the following calendar year.
Historically, more CFA Access Scholarships have been available than applicants, so if students qualify, apply for an Access Scholarship.
Awareness Scholarships: Academic Student Scholarships
Awareness scholarships are merit or role-based opportunities that offer a reduced fee for CFA Institute educational programs. Applications for the five scholarships available each year are made directly to the Finance Department faculty CFA representative. Awareness Scholarships are made in conjunction with, awarded through and processed by the CFA Institute.
Eligible student applicants: Full-time students attending a school in a CFA Institute University Affiliation Program.
The University of Arizona Finance Department is also a member of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association Academic Partnership Program (APP). As a member of APP, four scholarships are available for each CAIA exam through the Academic Scholarship Program.
Applications for the four scholarships available each exam (two exams per year) are made directly to the Finance Department faculty CAIA representative. CAIA scholarships are made in conjunction with, awarded through and processed by the CAIA Association.
Eligible student applicants: Full-time students attending a Academic Partnership Program (APP) Institution when the application is made, even if the student will graduate before the exam is held.