January 2000

Candidates Association Members Qualify for Society Membership

Members of the former New York Association of CPA Candidates now qualify for NYSSCPA associate membership under the new CPA candidate or student categories. They can now join committees, including the newly formed CPA Candidates Committee, chaired by Alan Chu, and benefit from leadership training, knowledge building, and networking gained through committee service.

Full Candidates Association members can apply for Society associate membership as a CPA candidate, with annual dues of $50, if they are college graduates preparing to pass the CPA exam. Candidates who are working at public accounting firms qualify as CPA candidate associate members. Individuals can remain in the CPA candidate associate membership category for five years.

Associate members of the former CPA Candidates Association qualify for the Society's student category, with annual dues of $30. Individuals who already have paid their Candidates Association dues for the current year will be transferred into the Society's new student associate membership category, which is valid for 12 months.

All former members of the CPA Candidates Association whose annual membership dues were paid as of June 1999 will be automatically transferred to the new categories. Associate NYSSCPA members receive all Society benefits and services but cannot vote or serve as an officer. They can join committees, although certain leadership committees have prerequisite service requirements.

Because all associate members require the sponsorship of an NYSSCPA member, the Society's Executive Committee made special arrangements to facilitate the application process for the approximately 1,200 Candidates Association members by designating NYSSCPA President Alan E. Weiner to serve as their sponsor. Students must reapply next year and be sponsored by an NYSSCPA member or endorsed by an accounting professor.

The fastest way to apply for the new associate candidate and student categories is to visit the Society's website, www.nysscpa.org, and complete the online application accessed through the Join Us link on the bottom of the homepage. To request an application, contact Kiesha Mills at (212) 719-8392, (800) 633-6320, or kymills@nysscpa.org.