Established in 1992, the Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship provides opportunities for students who have demonstrated achievement in fraud-related studies.
The Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship provides an opportunity for students to advance their education and anti-fraud career paths.
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Award Amounts
The award amounts are $10,000, $7,500, $5,000 and $2,000 and are paid directly to the recipient’s university or college.
The program was renamed the Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship, in 1998, in honor of ACFE members Larry Jennings, CFE, and Tracy Ritchie, CFE, who were among five people fatally wounded during terrorist attacks in Karachi, Pakistan, on November 14, 1997.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must submit a completed scholarship application, official transcript(s), and two letters of recommendation from either a professor or someone who knows them on a professional level.
Note that it is recommended at least one letter be from a CFE.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate a desire to pursue a career in fraud examination or similar anti-fraud profession and:
- Have a declared major or minor in accounting, business administration, finance, criminal justice or similar fraud-related discipline.
- Be currently enrolled full-time at an accredited, four-year college or university and be enrolled through the 2024-2025 academic year.
- Undergraduates must be enrolled in 9 semester hours (or equivalent) per term and must be a junior, senior, or at least in the second half of their sophomore year when applying.
- Graduates must be enrolled in 6 semester hours (or equivalent) per term.
Non-eligibility
- Past scholarship award recipients.
- High school, junior college or community college students.
- Undergraduates not in the second half of their sophomore year.
- College or university students graduating in 2024 (must be enrolled through 2025).
- ACFE chapter directors or officers.
How to Apply for the Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship
Applications for the 2024-2025 academic year will open in September and a link to them will become available on the website.
The 2024-2025 schedule is as follows:
- Application Deadline – February 5, 2024
- Recipients Announced – April 19, 2024
- Awards Distributed – May 4, 2024
Selection and Non-Discrimination Policy
The ACFE Foundation does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, disability or sexual orientation in any of its programs or activities.
Scholarships are awarded annually based on:
- A completed application.
- Fraud-related interests, activities, goals and desired career path.
- Overall academic achievement demonstrated by transcripts.
- Recommendation forms.