Ritchie Jennings Memorial Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Association of Fraud Examiners
Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship — Overview
The Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship helps students further their education and launch careers in anti-fraud fields. Winners receive one year of ACFE membership and monetary awards of $10,000, $7,500, $5,000, or $2,000. Scholarship funds are paid directly to the recipient’s college or university to support their studies. Congratulations to the 2025–2026 Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship recipients.
History
Founded in 1992 to recognize students who excel in fraud-related academic work, the program was renamed in 1998 to honor ACFE members Larry Jennings, CFE, and Tracy Ritchie, CFE. They were among five people killed in the terrorist attack in Karachi, Pakistan, on November 14, 1997.
Who May Apply
To be considered, applicants must submit:
- A completed scholarship application.
- Official academic transcript(s).
- Two letters of recommendation from either a faculty member or a professional who knows the applicant’s work.
Required qualifications
Applicants must demonstrate intent to pursue a career in fraud examination or a related anti-fraud profession and meet the following enrollment and academic requirements:
- Declared major or minor in accounting, business administration, finance, criminal justice, or a similar fraud-related discipline.
- Enrollment at an accredited four-year college or university and continuing enrollment through the 2026–2027 academic year (i.e., not graduating in 2026).
- Undergraduate students: enrolled for at least 9 semester hours (or the equivalent) per term and be a junior, senior, or at minimum in the latter half of their sophomore year at the time of application.
- Graduate students: enrolled for at least 6 semester hours (or the equivalent) per term.
Who is not eligible
The following applicants are ineligible:
- Previous recipients of this scholarship.
- Students enrolled only in high school, junior college, or community college programs.
- Undergraduates who are in their freshman year only.
- Students who will graduate in 2026 (applicants must be enrolled through the 2026–2027 academic year).
- ACFE chapter directors or officers.
Application timeline for the 2026–2027 academic year
- Application period opens: September 1, 2025
- Application deadline: February 2, 2026
- Recipients announced: April 30, 2026
- Awards distributed to institutions: May 7, 2026
How selections are made & non-discrimination statement
The ACFE Foundation selects recipients annually based on:
- A completed application.
- Demonstrated fraud-related interests, activities, goals, and intended career path.
- Academic achievement as shown on official transcripts.
- Strength of the recommendation letters.
The ACFE Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic in its programs and activities.
How to apply
The online application for the 2026–2027 academic year is currently open. Eligible students should complete the online form and upload the required documents by the deadline listed above.