ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP
FARE CFP® Certification Inclusion Scholarship aims to advance the financial planning profession by growing the next generation of CFP® professionals.
The scholarship provides financial support to individuals from communities with historically limited access to financial planning careers as they work toward obtaining CFP® certification.
Launched in 2020, FARE is a coalition of financial services firms, colleges, universities, and industry partners working together to expand opportunities and increase representation within the financial services industry. FARE has partnered with the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning to offer this scholarship as a meaningful initiative to support and develop future financial professionals.
The scholarship awards up to $7,000 per student seeking to complete an undergraduate- or certificate-level CFP Board Registered Program, either of which would qualify the student to sit for the CFP® exam.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Must not be a prior recipient of a CFP Board Center for Financial Planning scholarship;
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
- Must demonstrate a commitment to increasing access and representation in the financial services industry, particularly for communities that have been historically underrepresented in the profession, as explained in an essay to be submitted during the application process;
- Must have a demonstrated financial need, as explained in an essay to be submitted during the application process;
- To receive the award, must be enrolled in an undergraduate or certificate-level CFP Board Registered Program. Click here for a list of eligible programs.
- If not enrolled at the time of applying, scholarship awardees will have up to 3 months to enroll or forfeit the award;
- If applying for an undergraduate-level scholarship, must not be in the final semester at the time of the application;
- If applying for a certificate-level scholarship, must possess an undergraduate degree and must not have completed 6 or more course in the certificate-level program at the time of the application.
- Must provide documentation of enrollment in an eligible program and costs prior to receiving the award;
- Applicants will be required to pass a background check conducted by CFP Board, and must enhance and maintain the profession’s public image.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Please note that applications will only be accepted through this webpage. Please do not attempt to submit application materials via email, mail or fax. When submitting application essays and materials, please pay close attention to spelling and grammar, as that will be factored into the grading process.
AWARD PROCESS
Scholarship awards will be disbursed in two equal installments. To receive the first installment, recipients will have to demonstrate proof of enrollment in an eligible undergraduate or certificate-level CFP Board Registered Program. If not currently enrolled in a program, recipients will have up to 3 months to enroll after being notified of the award. The second installment will be awarded either upon completing the program (if the awardee has already started coursework), or when the awardee is half-way through the program (if the awardee has not yet started coursework).
APPLICATION DEADLINE
The application window will be open until April 8, 2025.
AWARD DECISION
Scholarship applicants will be notified of the award decision via email by June 2, 2025. If you have a question about the status of your application, please contact us at scholarships@cfpboard.org.
