Applications Available for 2008-09 Accenture Community College Scholarship

Program Aids Community College Students Seeking Bachelor’s Degrees in Business and Technology

NEW YORK.– Accenture (NYSE: ACN) will begin accepting applications for its annual Community College Scholarship program tomorrow, April 1. Up to 10 scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded in June to graduates of community colleges and other two-year programs seeking a bachelor’s degree in business or high technology at a four-year institution. The scholarships will be applicable for study during the 2008-2009 school year and will be renewable for up to one year or until a bachelor’s degree is earned.

Each student will receive a $5,000 scholarship for the coming school year and will be eligible for an additional $5,000 for another year or until they earn a bachelor’s degree.

Applications and detailed information on the scholarship program, including eligibility requirements, can be attained at Accenture Community College Scholarship. To enter the site, use Sponsor ID: 9916 and Security Code: Accenture08. Applications must be received by May 1, 2008.

Accenture launched the scholarship program last year to encourage graduates of community colleges to continue their education and to show its commitment to strengthening education in the United States and building a more competitive U.S. workforce. This year, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Scholarship & Recognition Programs (SRP) will provide design and management services for the Community College Scholarship program. Utilizing the ETS core competencies in assessment and research, SRP provides scholarship program support for corporations, foundations, labor unions and other fraternal and philanthropic organizations.

“We are very encouraged by the success of our initial scholarship recipients, who are enrolled at some very fine colleges and universities, and we are looking forward to helping ten more students continue their studies and earn a bachelor’s degree or higher,” said Bill Green, Accenture’s chairman & CEO. “Community colleges offer millions of students a great starting point in higher education and the opportunity to build skills to enrich their careers. The more business and government leaders can do to encourage students to continue their education at a four-year institution, the greater the chances are that our workforce will remain strong and competitive.”

Successful candidates for the Accenture Community College Scholarship will have excelled academically and demonstrated leadership ability as well as commitment to community. To be eligible, candidates must:

* Be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-year junior college or community college and plan to transfer to an accredited four-year college or university and pursue a baccalaureate degree;
* Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent); and
* Be seeking degrees and careers in the high technology and business fields.

Financial need will also be considered.

Commenting on the scholarship program, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said: “Ensuring that every qualified student can get a good college education is critical to strengthening our nation’s economic competitiveness and our middle class. As a community college graduate, I know first-hand the valuable role that community and junior colleges serve in providing students with the foundations they need to move on to a four-year college or to become a part of our workforce, and I am thrilled that this scholarship initiative will help open the doors of opportunity for 10 exceptional students. Last year Congress took a critical step toward making college more affordable by enacting the greatest increase in federal student aid since the GI Bill. We must now build on this effort by reforming our nation’s higher education system, so that it operates in the best interests of students and families and helps create the innovative workforce we need to confront new challenges in our global economy.”

U.S. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), Ranking Member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said, “California has a robust community college system that provides young people with great opportunities for entering the higher education system. I am excited that the business community is stepping up to encourage students to use community college as a stepping stone to achieve a bachelor’s degree. Meeting the challenges of the 21st century will require Americans to be more educated than ever before. Community colleges are integral to America’s ability to ensure that everyone who wants a higher education can get one. On that basis, I applaud Accenture’s scholarship program.”