New Jersey Society of CPAs Announces 10 Winners of its CPA Exam Fee Lottery

ROSELAND, N.J. - In a move to reduce the cost of becoming a certified public accountant (CPA), the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) has awarded 10 of its members $750 each towards their CPA Exam fee costs. The lottery winners, which are Affiliate or Student members of the NJCPA, were selected at random out of more than 60 entries.

Established in 2019, the NJCPA's CPA Exam Fee lottery was designed to partially offset the cost of preparing for and taking the CPA Exam, which can exceed more than $2,500 considering enrollment fees, review courses, study guides and other prep work.

This year's winners are:

• Bolakale Ayuba, financial analyst, Microsoft
• Angilee Blake, Rider University
• Cathy Boutelle
• Jacob M. Chesir
• Abraham Goldberg, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• Alex S. Gonzalez, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
• Sahil Khosla
• Zoe Lopez
• Dov Vernik
• Chaya Yarmush

"The lottery is a wonderful way to assist young professionals in route to becoming CPAs. Accounting is such a rewarding profession, and I am pleased the NJCPA continues to offer this important support for the next generation," said Angela Garofalo, CPA, CFP®, president of the NJCPA Scholarship Fund and a partner at Citrin Cooperman.

"Having a CPA Exam Fee Lottery reminds us about the important role CPAs play in society and how crucial it is to keep the profession as open as possible for students and others entering the field," added Aiysha (AJ) Johnson, MA, IOM, CEO and executive director at the NJCPA.

To be eligible for the CPA Exam Fee Lottery, winners must sign up to take the first part of the four-part CPA Exam between Dec. 1, 2024, and Nov. 30, 2025, and they must be currently enrolled in a New Jersey college or university or graduated within the past five years. Lottery winners are not eligible to win if they have received or will receive financial assistance for taking the CPA Exam from their employer.

The lottery was made possible by the NJCPA Scholarship Fund, which, through the generous backing of members and accounting firms, has supported more than 2,000 New Jersey students totaling more than $7 million in awards since 1960.

For more information on the CPA Exam Fee Lottery and Scholarship Fund, visit njcpa.org/scholarship.

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The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants, with more than 13,000 members, represents the interests of the accounting profession and advances the financial well-being of the people of New Jersey. The NJCPA plays a leadership role in supporting the profession by providing members with educational resources, access to shared knowledge and a continuing effort to create and expand professional opportunities.