HBCU Scholarship Program

Our scholarship aims to provide current HBCU students with the necessary funds to prep for and take the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam

About the HBCU Scholarship

The Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam is one of the first steps to take when starting a career in financial services. This scholarship will provide up to 15 HBCU students with $2,000 each to help prepare them to sit for and take the exam. If the recipient passes the SIE exam, an additional award of $1000 will be provided.

2023 Applications have closed but subscribe for updates on 2024 scholarships

Our Sponsors

Scholarship Eligibility Requirements

In order to apply for the FARE HBCU Scholarship, students must meet the following requirements:
  • Current HBCU student with a 3.2+ GPA in good academic standing.
  • Possess an unofficial transcript and active in campus/community.
  • Interested in financial services and at least 18 years old.
  • U.S. Permanent resident, Citizen, or active student visa with a demonstrated professional image in an application essay.

Scholarship Award

The HBCU scholarship will be awarded in 2-3 installments:

Scholarship awards will be disbursed once the recipient has provided proof of enrollment in an SIE study course ($1,000.)
An additional award will be disbursed once the recipient has registered and provided proof of registration for an SIE exam ($1,000.)
$1000 bonus provided to students that provide proof that they passed the SIE exam

Frequently Asked Questions

The SIE exam is FINRA’s general industry exam. It tests basic knowledge of products, risks, the structure and function of the securities industry and its regulatory agencies, and regulated and prohibited practices. Although ideal for university students and career changers, anyone can sit for the exam without prior association with a firm.

Yes! With a low exam fee ($60) and no firm sponsorship requirement, the SIE exam is ideal for university students who want to get a head start on a financial services career and, most importantly, stand out to potential employers by proving their mastery of basic industry knowledge and the ability to pass a high-stakes examination. 

The SIE gives you a head start on a financial services career. Current or potential employers are more likely to notice you because you can prove you have a grasp of basic industry knowledge and the ability to pass a high-stakes examination.

The range of topics covered on the SIE exam include:

  • Knowledge of Capital Markets
  • Understanding Products and their Risks
  • Understanding Trading, Customer Accounts, and Prohibited Activities
  • Overview of the Regulatory Framework.
To become registered with FINRA and seek a representative level role with an employer, you must also pass a revised, specialized knowledge qualification exam (or “top-off”) applicable to your job function with the firm.

FARE HBCU Scholarship Application​

Please use the form below to apply for the 2023 Scholarship.

Application Guidelines:

  • Essay: Create and upload an essay stating why the SIE designation is critical to your professional development and career aspirations and why this scholarship would assist you financially (maximum 500 words)
  • Video: Create and upload a video URL explaining why the SIE destination would benefit your professional development and career aspirations. (maximum two minutes. Please use a platform such as YouTube, Vimeo or Dropbox to upload your video and generate a URL) 
  • References: Please submit two professional references with your application.

Essay

Create and upload an essay stating why the SIE designation is critical to your professional development and career aspirations and why this scholarship would assist you financially (maximum 500 words)

Video (Optional)

Create and upload a video URL explaining why the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam designation would benefit your professional development and career aspirations. (maximum two minutes. Please use a platform such as YouTube, Vimeo or Dropbox to upload your video and generate a URL)

References

Please submit two professional references with your application.

Subscribe for Updates on 2024 scholarships

Use the form below to begin your application. 

Full applications are due by Friday October 27, 2023 at 11:59pm ET

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Would you like to become a member?

Do you represent a financial services company or industry leading organizations and want to become a change agent and want to learn more about our services? Let’s connect!

Search

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Consent Checkbox(Required)