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Apply for a Scholarship

The CFP Board Exam Scholarship

About the Scholarship

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The CFP Board Exam Scholarship provides financial assistance to aspiring CFP® professionals who demonstrate financial need.

The CFP Board Exam Scholarship awards $625 toward the early registration rate of $825 for the CFP® exam. This means the scholarship awardee will assume financial responsibility for $200 of the early registration cost of the CFP® exam.

To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must not be registered to take the March 2026 CFP® exam, meet eligibility criteria below and successfully complete this application form. CFP Board will award scholarships on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants.

CFP Board will notify awardees that they received the scholarship and will work with them to register for the March 2026 exam with a $625 discount code. Only register for the exam after being notified of the award, or you will forfeit the scholarship. This scholarship does not retroactively reimburse exam registration already paid for before receiving the scholarship.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Must not be a prior recipient of a CFP Board Center for Financial Planning education scholarship;
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
  • Must not be registered for the March 2026 CFP® exam prior to being notified of the award.
  • After being notified of the scholarship award, the awardee must register for the March 2026 CFP® exam by January 13, 2026.
  • After receiving the scholarship, the awardee must take the complimentary CFP Board Practice Exam by March 3, 2026, and provide proof of Practice Exam completion to [email protected], or else forfeit the award. Please email your diagnostic score report, provided after the Practice Exam is done, as proof of completion.
  • Must demonstrate financial need as explained in a personal statement.
  • Must not receive any other scholarships or financial aid toward the March 2026 CFP® exam.
  • Must pass a background check conducted by CFP Board.

Submission Requirements

Applications will only be accepted through the application form below. Please do not attempt to submit application materials via mail, fax or email. Pay close attention to the requirements when submitting the application. All fields are required to submit.

Award Process

Following the application review, awards will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis to applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and successfully complete the application. After receiving the award, recipients will be provided with instructions for registering for the exam at a discounted rate.

As a contingency of the award, candidates agree to take the complimentary CFP Board Practice Exam provided at exam registration by March 3, 2026, and provide proof of Practice Exam completion to [email protected] by March 3, 2026 or else forfeit the award. Please email your diagnostic score report, provided after the Practice Exam is done, as proof of completion.

Award Policies

Upon registering for the exam, an awardee will have until March 3, 2026, to secure an exam seat with Prometric. Failure to secure an exam seat with Prometric will result in de-registration and postponement of the exam, including a postponement fee of $500 that is not paid for or refundable under this scholarship.

Application Deadline

The application window will be open until November 19, 2025.

Award Decision

Scholarship applicants will be notified of award decision via email by December 4, 2025. If you have a question about the status of your application, please contact us.

Application

CFP Board Account Number (if you don’t have a CFP Board account, click here to create one)

CFP® Exam
You must not be already registered for the March 2026 CFP® exam.

Are you currently registered for the March 2026 CFP® Exam?
Gender:
Ethnicity (select all that apply):

Other Financial Aid

You must not be receiving any other scholarships or financial aid toward the March, 2026 CFP® exam (including but not limited to employer funding).

Have you received any other scholarships or financial aid to cover any portion of the cost of the March 2026 CFP® exam registration?

Exam Registration Acknowledgement
By submitting this form, I certify that I understand I must register for the CFP® exam by January 13, 2026, by connecting with CFP Board staff. If I decide not to register, I certify that I will notify CFP Board staff by January 13, 2026. If I decide not to register or fail to communicate with the CFP Board staff by the deadline, I understand that I forfeit the scholarship award.

Practice Exam Acknowledgement
By submitting this form, I certify that I will take the CFP Board Practice Exam and provide proof of Practice Exam completion (diagnostic score report) to [email protected] by March 3, 2026, or else forfeit the award.

Prometric Exam Seat Acknowledgement
By submitting this form, I certify that I will secure an exam seat with Prometric by March 3, 2026. I understand that failure to secure an exam seat with Prometric will result in de-registration and postponement of the exam, including a postponement fee of $500 that is not paid for or refundable under this scholarship.

Background Check Acknowledgment

By submitting this form, I acknowledge that CFP Board will run a background check during the scholarship selection process and, if I am awarded a scholarship, during the term of the scholarship. CFP Board will evaluate scholarship applicants (and those who are awarded scholarships) against the Fitness Standards that apply to those who are applying for CFP® certification. CFP Board will conduct this evaluation pursuant to the same process that CFP Board follows when reviewing applications for CFP® certification. If CFP Board obtains information that would subject the scholarship applicant (or scholarship awardee) to an investigation if the scholarship applicant or scholarship awardee were an applicant for CFP® certification, then CFP Board (a) in the case of an applicant, will deny the scholarship application, or (b) in the case of a scholarship awardee, have the right, at CFP Board’s sole discretion, (1) to terminate the scholarship and discontinue scholarship payments, or (2) to suspend the scholarship and scholarship payments pending further CFP Board action. As part of an application for CFP® certification, applicants and scholarship awardees must demonstrate ethical fitness in accordance with CFP Board’s Fitness Standards. The fact that an individual receives a scholarship (or continues receiving scholarship payments) is not a representation, promise or guarantee that the individual will satisfy CFP Board’s Fitness Standards when the individual applies for CFP® certification.

Sharing Information with Sponsor Acknowledgement

By submitting this form, you acknowledge that CFP Board shares your contact information with the sponsor for potential outreach.