The Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants has awarded prestigious scholarships to five Lipscomb University accounting students. The total represents the largest number ever for Lipscomb. Only 78 were awarded statewide, said Dr. Perry G. Moore, director of admissions for Lipscomb's MBA program. Each student received $1,000 from the TSCPA. All five of Lipscomb's applicants this year were selected, Moore said. "This is a program we've participated in for many years, and every year we encourage our students to apply. But this is the first year we've had this many selected. I believe it is a recognition of the strong academic accounting program at Lipscomb and the relationship our faculty have with practicing CPAs in the state," said Charles Frasier, chair of the department of accounting at Lipscomb. "Lipscomb has provided many accountants to the profession in Tennessee, and they continue to be strong supporters of the profession and of Lipscomb. This recognizes the contribution they make," Frasier said. The five students include three undergraduates, one graduate student and one graduate of the MBA program. The students: -- Russell H. Gentry III, Goodlettsville, Tenn., senior, accounting. -- Michele L. Schmidt, Brentwood, Tenn., accounting concentration, MBA program. Schmidt also received the scholarship during her senior undergraduate year at Lipscomb. -- Sybil D. Staley, Brentwood, Tenn., senior, accounting. -- Daniel P. Stone, Nashville, senior, accounting. -- Suzanne E. Turner, Nashville, a May graduate from the accounting concentration, MBA program. Turner is now pursuing a master of accountancy degree in taxation at The University of Tennessee. Selection is based on academic achievement, financial need, professor recommendation, and leadership skills, said B. Bradford Floyd, executive director of the TSCPA. "Competition for these awards is intense, as indicated by the recipients' accounting grade-point average of 3.70 [on a four-point scale] and overall GPA of 3.69," Floyd said.