Apply for a Scholarship

The LeCount R. Davis, CFP® Scholarship

ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP

The LeCount R. Davis, CFP® Scholarship aims to advance the financial planning profession by growing the next generation of diverse CFP® professionals. The scholarship provides financial assistance to qualified Black or African American students who strive to obtain the CFP® certification and who demonstrate merit or financial need.

In an effort to create a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession, the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning created an endowed scholarship honoring LeCount R. Davis, CFP®, the first Black person to earn the CFP® certification in 1978. During his long career, Davis’s client portfolio included national organizations, international labor unions, pension funds, individuals, small businesses, religious organizations, investment clubs and other entities. In 2001, Davis founded the Association of African American Financial Advisors, whose mission is to expand the community of successful Black financial professionals. To further inspire and prepare the next generation of financial planners, he published his autobiography in 2020: “One Step Back – Two Steps Forward: The Dance of My Ultimate Plan.”

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. resident;
Must identify as Black or African American;
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 more than 5 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 merit via involvement in community service AND/OR must have a demonstrated financial need, as explained in an essay to be submitted during the application process;
Must demonstrate commitment to the financial planning profession, as explained in an essay to be submitted during the application process; and
Must exhibit professionalism and the ability to enhance and maintain the profession’s public image as demonstrated in an essay to be submitted during the application process.

Applicants who are selected to proceed to the final round of the application review process will be required to pass a background check conducted by CFP Board.

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

The application window will be open until April 2, 2023.

AWARD DECISION

Scholarship applicants will be notified of the award decision via email in May 2023. If you have a question about the status of your application, please contact us at scholarships@cfpboard.org.

Application

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

Important: Be sure your CFP Board account includes: 1) your date of birth, and 2) the last four digits of your social security number. Not having this information may delay your application and disqualify you from the scholarship.

CFP Board Account Number First Name Last Name Street Address City State Zip Code Phone Number Email How did you hear about the scholarship?

Ethnicity (select all that apply):

American Indian or Alaskan Native

Asian

Black or African American

Hawaiian Native or Pacific Islander

Hispanic or Latino

White

Please upload a headshot that may be used to recognize you if you are selected as a scholarship recipient. The headshot will not be used to assume proof of eligibility.

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Undergraduate Degree Transcript
If you are pursuing a certificate-level CFP Board Registered Program, please upload a copy of your undergraduate degree transcript. If you are pursuing an undergraduate-level program, please upload a copy of your current unofficial transcript.

Undergraduate Degree Transcript Upload

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Recommendation Letter: Please upload a professional or academic letter of reference as a Word document or PDF.

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Resume: Please upload a current resume as a Word document or PDF.

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Essay

Please upload an essay that addresses each of the questions below as a single Word document or PDF. Please pay attention to spelling and grammar as that will be factored into the grading process.

In your own words, describe how attaining CFP® certification will enable you to provide competent and ethical financial planning advice to clients, as well as advance your career in financial planning. (500 – 1,000 words)
Describe why a client’s financial plan should focus not only on wealth accumulation and distribution, but also on wealth transfer as a way to help solve socio-economic issues in our country. (500 – 1,000 words)
Please indicate how you meet the eligibility requirements for this scholarship by demonstrating your involvement in community service (for example, volunteer work to advance financial literacy) AND/OR your financial need in detail. (250 – 500 words)

Essay Upload

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Program Type
Enter the type of CFP Board Registered Program you are attending:

Program Type

In order to receive the award, you must be enrolled in an undergraduate or certificate-level CFP Board Registered Program. If not enrolled at the time of applying, scholarship recipients will have up to 3 months from the date of being notified of the award to enroll, or will forfeit the award.

Please provide the name of a CFP Board Registered Program you are enrolled in, or will enroll in. If you don’t yet know the program you will enroll in, enter “Don’t Know Yet.” Click here to find a CFP Board Registered Program.

Program Name

If enrolled in an undergraduate program, enter how many semesters you have left to complete. If enrolled in a certificate program, enter how many classes you have left to complete. If you are not yet enrolled, enter “Not Yet Enrolled.”

If applying for an undergraduate-level scholarship, you must not be in the final semester at the time of the application.

If applying for a certificate-level scholarship, you must not have completed more than 5 courses in the certificate-level program at the time of the application.

Program Completion Status

Have you received or will you receive any other scholarships, employer education reimbursement, or financial aid to cover any portion of the cost of your CFP Board Registered Program? If so, please describe in detail below. (If not, please enter "No")

Other Financial Aid

By checking this box, I give permission to CFP Board to run a background check if I am selected to proceed to the final round of the scholarship selection process.

CFP Board will evaluate scholarship applicants against the Fitness Standards that apply to those who are applying for CFP® certification (https://www.cfp.net/get-certified/certification-process/ethics-requirement/fitness-standards). CFP Board will review the scholarship applicant’s background pursuant to the same process that CFP Board reviews applications for CFP® certification. If CFP Board discovers information that would subject the scholarship applicant to an investigation if the scholarship applicant were an applicant for CFP® certification, then CFP Board will deny the scholarship application. The fact that an individual receives a scholarship does not guarantee that the individual will satisfy CFP Board’s Fitness Standards when the individual later applies for CFP® certification.

Important: Be sure your CFP Board account includes: 1) your date of birth and 2) the last four digits of your social security number. Not having this information may delay your application and disqualify you from the scholarship.