Introducing Accordance for Academia: Educating the First Generation of AI-Native CPAs

Accordance, the frontier AI platform built for tax, audit, and CPA teams, today announced the launch of Accordance for Academia, a new program to train the next generation of CPAs with the latest AI technology. As part of the program, students and faculty enjoy discounted access to Accordance’s platform. Along with the program, Accordance is announcing it has hired Charles W. Swenson, a leading accounting professor from USC to advise the company and its academic efforts.

Accounting and Tax Students’ Problem: Curriculum Designed for the Pre-AI Era

Accounting programs are still training students for a version of the job that’s disappearing fast. Graduates are taught to spend hours on manual research, document review, and spreadsheet-heavy workflows, exactly the work AI is already automating inside modern firms. The result is a growing gap between what students practice in class and what they’ll be expected to do on day one: supervise AI, validate outputs against authoritative sources, document judgment calls, and move faster without sacrificing accuracy or ethics. If universities don’t shift now, they’ll keep sending talented grads into roles built around tasks that won’t exist in a few years, instead of preparing them to be AI-native accountants from the start.

“This is about preparing students not just to understand the law, but to practice it in the world they’re entering,” stated USF School of Law Dean Johanna Kalb. “For our MLST and LLM in Taxation candidates, they’re working in the field, and we know AI is already transforming how professionals approach complex tax issues. We’re giving students the tools and context to use these technologies responsibly and effectively.”

Accordance for Academia: Educating the First Generation of AI-Native Accountants

Accordance helps schools and future accountants make that shift by bringing the same AI workflows used by modern tax and accounting teams into the classroom. Instead of replacing judgment, Accordance strengthens it: students can research across authoritative sources, test different fact patterns, and see how conclusions are reached with transparent reasoning, so they learn the “why,” not just the answer. Faculty can use Accordance to build practical assignments around real-world scenarios, and students graduate fluent in how to work alongside AI: validating outputs, documenting assumptions, and communicating defensible positions with confidence.

“The accounting profession is changing faster than the curriculum. By the time today’s freshmen graduate, manual research will be a relic of the past,” explained Charles W. Swenson, an accounting professor at USC and advisor to Accordance. “Accordance allows students to move beyond textbook theory and give them hands-on experience with the frontier AI tools they will actually use at top-tier firms. We aren’t just teaching them accounting and tax rules and critical thinking skills; we’re teaching them how to be AI-native leaders.”

Trusted and Backed by Industry Leaders

Founded in 2024, Accordance is backed by the world’s leading investors including Sequoia Capital, Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, and Bain Capital Ventures. The company maintains active research partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic. Accordance is used by a wide variety of companies and firms that students aspire to join post-graduation such as Figma; Quora; The Bonadio Group; Robinson, Grimes; Sasserath & Co.; The Hechtman Group; Barnes Wendling; Wright Ford Young & Co.; Fortitude Family Office and many more.

“Our mission has always been to empower professionals, not replace them,” said David Yue, co-founder and CEO of Accordance. “By bringing Accordance into the classroom, we’re ensuring that the next generation of CPAs doesn’t just enter the workforce as practitioners, but as architects of the AI era.”

Students and faculty can learn more and try Accordance today at: Accordance.com/education.

About Accordance

Accordance is the frontier AI platform for world-class tax, audit, and CPA teams. The company’s mission is to empower every professional to deliver excellence, enabling professionals to become the architects of tomorrow’s financial world. Its technology was developed by former researchers from the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in collaboration with industry experts, professors, and practitioners. The company was founded in 2024 and is backed by Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, and Menlo Ventures. Learn more at accordance.com/.