Edelman Financial Engines CFP® Certification Diversity Scholarship

about the scholarship

SCHOLARSHIP TO EMPLOYMENT 

The Edelman Financial Engines CFP® Certification Diversity Scholarship aims to support the development of aspiring financial planners from underrepresented communities and expand diversity efforts within the profession.

Long recognized as a leader in the democratization of financial planning and investment management, Edelman Financial Engines seeks to help create a more diverse and sustainable financial planning industry. This scholarship aims to help the next generation of exceptional, client-centric financial planners build their careers.

In partnership with the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning, the scholarship awards up to $5,000 per individual hoping to complete a certificate-level, CFP Board-registered program that would qualify them 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. resident.
• Must have at least 2 years of financial services industry experience.
• Must have an undergraduate degree.
• Must be enrolled in a CFP Board-registered certificate program at the time the scholarship application is submitted. Documentation of program enrollment and costs is a precondition to receiving the award. Click here for a list of eligible certificate-level programs.
• Must be from an underrepresented population within the financial planning profession in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, military veteran or sexual orientation.
• Must have demonstrated financial need, to be explained in the essay requirement of the application process.
• Must have a demonstrated desire to help others reach their financial goals, while building their own career in a professional setting.
• Must exhibit professionalism and dignity, and demonstrate the ability to enhance and maintain the profession’s public image.

Applicants who are selected for the final round of the application review process must pass a background check conducted by the CFP Board.

submission process

Applications will only be accepted through this webpage. Please do not submit application materials via mail, fax or email.

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 certificate-level CFP Board Registered Program. 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 Window

The next application window will open in 2024.