First 20 Diversity Scholarships for CFP® Certification Awarded by College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company

The College for Financial Planning^®—a Kaplan Company has announced the first 20 recipients of its nearly half-a-million-dollar Diversity Scholarship Program, which offers up to 60 scholarships annually to underrepresented, qualified individuals pursuing the education requirement necessary to attain CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.

The College created the Diversity Scholarship Program for CFP^® Certification to help foster diversity and inclusion in the financial planning profession. Applicants must be from underrepresented communities in the financial planning field, in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation. Each scholarship, valued at approximately $7,600, covers the full cost of a one-year program for CFP^® certification education, consisting of required education and exam prep review, which will prepare recipients to sit for the CFP^® exam.

“We're pleased to award our first 20 scholarships to these deserving individuals and are excited to be a part of their professional journeys in financial planning,” said Dirk Pantone, President of the College for Financial Planning^®—a Kaplan Company. “The College is committed to the industry’s efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce and to broaden the communities of people who have access to competent and ethical financial planning advice.”

The financial services industry recognizes and is addressing the need to diversify its ranks. Progress is being made, according to the CFP Board. In 2020, there was a 12.6 percent increase in the number of Black and Latino CFP^® professionals over the prior year, which is nearly five times the overall growth rate of CFP^® professionals. Additionally, the number of female CFP^® professionals reached an all-time high last year, with a growth rate of 3.1 percent from 2019.

The Diversity Scholarships will be awarded three times per year to coincide with the start of one- year structured-pace education programs that begin in March, July, and November. The deadline for applications for the next round of up to 20 scholarships is April 15, 2021. Individuals awarded scholarships associated with this deadline would start their one-year CFP^® certification education program in July 2021. The program is administered by The College for Financial Planning^® Scholarship Committee, comprised of faculty members. For more information and to apply, go to: www.kaplanfinancial.com/cfp-diversityscholarships

About the College for Financial Planning

Founded in 1972, the College for Financial Planning^®—A Kaplan Company provides accessible and flexible degree, non-degree, and continuing professional education programs to students nationwide. Shortly after its founding, the College introduced the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM certification, which is now the world's most recognized and respected financial planning credential with more than 88,000 certified professionals.

In addition to its CFP^® Certification Professional Education Program, the College also offers a master’s degree in personal financial planning and professional designation programs that provide more in-depth knowledge of the finance industry, with specializations ranging from asset management and retirement planning to sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investments. The College for Financial Planning is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. More than 174,000 students have graduated from the College’s programs. For more information, visit www.cffp.edu

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