NEBRASKA’S ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY TO CPA LICENSURE WHAT IS NESCPA RECOMMENDING? The Nebraska Society of CPAs (NESCPA) is recommending legislation to create an additional pathway to licensure that allows CPA candidates to become licensed upon completion of: A bachelor’s degree with a concentration in accounting, Two years of qualifying work experience under the supervision of a licensed CPA, and Passage of the Uniform CPA Exam. HOW DOES THE NEW PATHWAY DIFFER FROM THE CURRENT PATHWAY? Current Nebraska law requires candidates to complete 150 semester hours of education and have a bachelor’s or higher degree; two years of experience in public accounting or three years in government, industry, or academia; and passage of the CPA Exam. The bachelor’s+2 pathway would provide an alternative: a bachelor’s degree in accounting, two years of work experience (in public accounting, business, industry, or academia), and passage of the CPA Exam. For those choosing to obtain a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree plus 30 additional credit hours, only one year of experience would be required (in public accounting, government, industry, or academia). WHY IS NESCPA SUPPORTING THIS PATHWAY? Nebraska—like the rest of the country—faces a shortage of CPAs in the workforce. The additional expense and time required for the 150-hour rule has discouraged many qualified students. The new pathway: Expands the pipeline of future CPAs, Reduces financial barriers, and Maintains professional rigor while helping sustain Nebraska’s accounting workforce. DOES THE ADDITIONAL PATHWAY LOWER THE STANDARDS TO BECOME A CPA? No. All candidates—no matter which pathway they choose—must: Complete the same accounting coursework, Pass the rigorous Uniform CPA Exam, and Demonstrate competence through supervised experience. This pathway simply removes the cost and time barrier of the additional 30 academic credit hours and replaces it with practical on-the-job experience. 14 Nebraska CPA
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