Two Bluffton University accounting students have won a scholarship that will enable them to study for and take the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam at no cost.

Receiving the CMA Scholarship recently from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) were senior Riley Patterson of Arcadia, Ohio, and junior Matthew McCoy of Archbold, Ohio.

Patterson is majoring in accounting and business administration, with a minor in economics. He plans to enter the master of accountancy program at Bowling Green State University next fall. McCoy is an accounting major with minors in mathematics and information technology.

Dr. Jason Swartzlander, an associate professor of accounting at Bluffton, nominated the scholarship recipients. The award covers their varying IMA membership fees for three years and a $225 entrance fee to the CMA program, in addition to CMA exam review materials and the $350 registration fee for their first attempt at both parts of the exam.

Scholarship nominees must be among the top five students or 5 percent of students—whichever is greater—in an accredited accounting or business program, whether undergraduate or master’s. The scholarship allows recipients one year to register for the CMA program and then three years to complete it.