Throughout 2021, the ICAS Foundation has continued to support undergraduate accounting and finance students facing economic and social barriers to financial education:
- 31 students graduated this year, with 95% achieving a First Class or Upper-Second Class honours degree.
- 76% of 2021 graduates progressed directly into CA graduate training roles, or have been offered other employment and post-graduate training opportunities.
- We offered 36 ICAS Foundation programme places to students in 2021, and awarded 5 one-off financial grants, bringing the total number of students supported so far by the Foundation to 267.
We would not be able to provide this assistance to students without the generous support of our donors, volunteer mentors and advocates, and we are extremely grateful for their help with our work.
What difference does my support make?
Your support can change the lives of those who aspire to follow in your footsteps and join the prestigious ICAS membership. Read what just some of our graduates have said about the ICAS Foundation programme:
- "Now that I’ve graduated, I can see that the ICAS Foundation completely changed my experience of university – the assistance it offers is just fantastic." (Lewis McArdle, CA trainee at Audit Scotland)
- "Working at a Big Four firm opens a lot of doors, and everyone is really supportive. When I was at school, I had no idea what came next after university – without the ICAS Foundation, I honestly don’t think I would be where I am today." (Amy Mellis CA, working at KPMG)
- "ICAS Foundation support goes far beyond bursary and mentoring help, and it was so important to me throughout university. It’s great to know that students continue to benefit from this help – I know, even though I’ve graduated, I can still benefit from the connections and assistance the ICAS Foundation offers too." (Liam Guthrie, in CA Training at The Phoenix Group)
How you can help
Every donation to the ICAS Foundation makes a difference. Lots of people giving a little can have a huge impact, and helps us continue our work to diversify the accounting sector and widen access to the next generation of CAs.
You can help us by:
- Setting up a direct debit or standing order to donate on a regular basis direct to the ICAS Foundation.
- Donating to the ICAS Foundation while completing your ICAS Annual Membership Renewal, if you are an ICAS member.
- Completing a Gift Aid declaration form, which increases the value of your donation by 25%.
If you are a CA, you can also help us stay in touch with you by signing up to receive updates directly from the ICAS Foundation when completing your ICAS membership renewal. This means we can let you know about our work and the difference your support can make to the lives of future CAs like you.
Find out more
- Read ICAS Past President Sir David Tweedie’s open letter to the ICAS membership about the importance of the Foundation’s work.
- Hear from an ICAS Foundation graduate and a donor in the December 2021 issue of the ICAS CA Magazine.
- Find out why our donors support us financially in the November 2020 issue of the CA Magazine.
- Meet some of our students and find out more about the difference the ICAS Foundation has made to their studies.
Your support is incredibly valuable to us – thank you for helping us continue our work.
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The ICAS Foundation is a registered Scottish charity No SC034836.
You can support the work of the ICAS Foundation by donating, volunteering to mentor a student or providing an internship or work placement. You can also contact us to discuss a specific area where you would like to help.