California Lutheran University and CFP Board Center for Financial Planning Announce Joint Scholarship Program for CFP® Certification

New Program Aims to Increase Number of CFP® Professionals from Populations Underrepresented in the Profession

The CFP Board Center for Financial Planning and California Lutheran University announced today a new joint scholarship program to help increase the number of CFP® professionals from populations that are underrepresented in the financial planning profession in terms of gender, race and ethnicity.

The California Lutheran University Financial Planning Scholarship offers financial assistance to qualified individuals seeking to complete Cal Lutheran’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) or online Master of Science (MS) degree in Financial Planning, both of which qualify candidates to sit for the CFP® certification exam. Scholarships will be awarded annually to eligible individuals.

To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must apply and be admitted to either Cal Lutheran’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) or online Master of Science (MS) degree in Financial Planning, and undergo an application process administered by the Center for Financial Planning. Cal Lutheran will waive the application fee for all scholarship applicants.

“Cal Lutheran’s partnership with the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning will help us advance diversity in the financial planning profession," said Chia-Li Chien, PhD, CFP®, PMP®, director of the financial planning program at Cal Lutheran. "We are committed to expanding access to our MBA and MS in Financial Planning program to students in underserved communities.”

Awardees from the MBA in Financial Planning will receive a total award of $5,000, and awardees from the MS in Financial Planning will receive a total award of $3,500. A portion of the awarded funds may be used to cover the cost of the CFP® exam. Awardees will also receive a complimentary registration to attend one Academic Research Colloquium for Financial Planning and Related Disciplines.

“We need more financial planners who reflect the diversity of this country to help all consumers meet long-term financial goals,” said D.A. Abrams, CAE, managing director of the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning. “We are grateful to Cal Lutheran for their commitment to helping cultivate a new generation of CFP® professionals.”

The application window for the scholarship is open through May 31, 2020, with the first awards expected to be made in July. For more information, visit the scholarship webpage.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1959, California Lutheran University is home to more than 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students who come from more than 49 countries and represent a wide variety of faiths. Our dedicated, accomplished faculty works with small classes of students who are open-minded—about ideas, about people, and about faith—and are seeking to grow as individuals. Both in the classroom and outside of it, everyone at Cal Lutheran is committed to helping each student pursue their passions to discover their purpose and follow that purpose to transform their community—and the world.