John S. Cowan was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and graduated with honors in geology at Middlebury College in Vermont. He earned a masters of science in accounting at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming and went on to become a Certified Public Accountant.
Throughout his career, John has been an instructor of accounting as well as the owner, CEO and CFO of two postsecondary proprietary schools: the Wyoming Technical Institute in Laramie, Wyoming and the Bryman School in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has worked as a CPA and a CPA consultant and auditor for a number of committees and non-profit organizations.
He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Wyoming Society of Certified Public Accountants, Rocky Mountain Association of Financial Aid Administrators, Utah Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, National Association of Trade and Technical Schools (now Career College Association) and Utah Career College Association.
John is the co-author of the original Student Financial Aid Handbook published by the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools (now CCA). This handbook is updated yearly and is still used by schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States as well as the U.S. Department of Education Regional offices.
He was a consultant to the US Department of Justice, 1979-1981, and admitted as an expert witness by the U.S. District Court, Dallas, Texas. The work consisted of prosecuting educational institutions for misuse of student assistance funds.
In addition to serving as auditor of various school and college Title IV Student Financial Aid Programs Funds, 1974 to 1997, John was previously retained as consultant for ITT Educational Corp. and Control Data Institute. He was a consultant to the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology, working to design an accounting system to comply with new non-profit accounting standards and update committee on any changes in student assistance Title IV regulations that might affect their programmatic accreditation activities.
John’s consulting practice continues in areas of education, new business development, accounting and administration of non-profit organizations.