Abacus Wealth Partners Scholarship for Increased Diversity in Financial Planning

About the Scholarship

The Abacus Wealth Partners Scholarship for Increased Diversity in Financial Planning aims to advance the financial planning profession by providing financial assistance to students pursuing CFP® certification who are from populations underrepresented in the profession and have a financial need.

 

Founded in 2002, Abacus Wealth Partners (Abacus) is a registered investment advisor (RIA) firm that manages approximately $3 billion in assets and provides financial planning services to more than 1,500 clients across the United States. Abacus’ mission is to expand what’s possible with money. This means being thoughtful about the social and environmental impact of the investments they manage, helping people to not simply build wealth, but to live more fulfilling lives, and effecting change in the financial services industry to create and serve a more diverse and equitable profession and client base. Abacus has partnered with the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning to offer this scholarship in an effort to create a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession, so that every American has access to competent and ethical financial planning advice.

The scholarship awards up to $5,000 per student seeking to complete an undergraduate-level or a 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 identify as Asian, Black or African American, Hawaiian Native or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or two or more of these ethnicities; AND must have a demonstrated financial need, as explained in an essay to be submitted during the application process;
• In order 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 courses 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;
• Must demonstrate commitment to the financial planning profession, as explained in an essay to be submitted during the application process; and
• 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 must 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

This application cycle is closed.

The next application cycle will begin in August 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 [email protected].