Fund supports continuing academic endeavors of more than 1,000 EY US interns impacted by COVID-19 for fall 2020 semester
New York, September 30, 2020 — The EY Foundation has created a $3.3 million scholarship fund to support EY US 2020 winter and summer interns. The fund provides assistance to interns with financial needs due to the impact of COVID-19 and will help them continue in their academic endeavors.
The EY Intern Scholarship Fund covers fall 2020 tuition and was disbursed to more than 1,000 EY US graduate and undergraduate interns who applied for assistance. The need-based scholarships were paid directly to students’ colleges and universities to help cover tuition and fees.
“We know — and firmly believe — that building a better working world can’t happen if we don’t continue to invest in the next generation of leaders. That’s why EY US is committed to taking action to ensure equitable opportunities for all students in order to create the truly diverse future we all believe in,” said Kelly Grier, EY US Chair and Managing Partner and Americas Managing Partner.
Twice a year, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) provides a hands-on internship experiences to both undergrad and graduate students across all parts of the US firm’s business, including Assurance, Consulting, Strategy and Transactions, and Tax. The program allows interns to immerse themselves in the collaborative EY US culture and contribute to the transformative work the US firm does for its clients. The 2020 summer internship program was a fully virtual experience. Over the course of 5 and 10 weeks, interns teamed directly with EY US professionals, engaged with clients and participated in learning and development opportunities.
“Interns represent the future of our firm, and we’re committed to exposing the next generation to a career in professional services. That’s why, in this period of uncertainty, EY US remained committed to providing an exceptional experience to help our interns start their journeys to becoming transformative leaders,” added Natasha Stough, EY Americas Campus Recruiting Director.
The 2020 intern class is a diverse group consisting of more than 4,100 individuals from more than 450 schools. With equal gender representation, 47% of interns are minorities, and 45% are pursuing majors outside of accounting.
“This year has shown us how committed and resilient the next generation of talent is. We are delighted to be able to help so many of our interns persist in their academic journeys and to help prepare them to succeed in a fast-paced, ever-changing workplace,” said Ellen Glazerman, Executive Director at the EY Foundation.
As part of the US firm’s support for individuals pursuing higher education, the EY Foundation has provided nearly $275,000 in emergency grants to 325 Collegians who experienced financial distress due to COVID-19. The College MAP Just-in-Time Grant Fund, which was created to help College MAP students stay in college, helps cover necessities like food, shelter and online connectivity for students, and is available to qualifying individuals on an ongoing basis.
Through the EY Foundation, EY US has also invested $4 million in four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), specifically $1 million each in Hampton University (Hampton, VA), Howard University (Washington, DC), Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA) and Spelman College (Atlanta, GA). These contributions will help increase the number of Black and African Americans in professional services and are part of the US firm’s continued work to activate its access and financial support efforts.
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