Hey, accounting students — wanna join the CPA profession?

“Don't I need to earn my CPA first?” I hear you asking.

Well, sure, if you want to get technical about it. But there's a back door that all students and their professors need to know about.

It's called “student membership,” and virtually every CPA association offers it.

A new article from educators at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Texas Wesleyan University outlines the benefits of these memberships. The AICPA's Student Affiliate Membership Program and similar offerings from state CPA societies across the country — including the MACPA — give student members some huge advantages as they march toward their CPA designations. Among them:

• Discounts to conferences
• Access to exclusive members-only content
• Networking
• Mentoring
• Advice and resources to aid their job searches
• Scholarships
• CPA exam advice and resources

Even more important, these programs let students rub elbows with actual CPAs. For young folks who are trying to find their place in the profession, that type of access is invaluable.

Read the article in its entirety, then sign up for the MACPA's “Tomorrow's CPA” program. It's free to join and is one of only four state CPA society student membership programs in the country that's available to high school and college students.

Students, let's hear from you: What's the best part of being a member of your CPA society's student program?