The CFA Institute Access Scholarship Program was designed to make the programs more accessible to individuals who may not be able to afford the full program fees.
About the organization
The CFA Institute is a global, non-profit professional organization that provides financial education to investment professionals. It strives to advance the standards in ethics, education and professional excellence in the global investment industry.The organization offers the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM), the Certificate in ESG Investing and, until December 2021, the Investment Foundations Certificate.The CFA Institute offers ongoing educational conferences, seminars, webcasts and publications to enable members and other parties to stay current with developments in the investment industry.The organization also administers the CFA Institute Research Challenge for university students and the CFA Institute Research Endowment.The CFA Institute is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, with additional offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi.The current President and CEO is Margaret Franklin. In 1947, four financial analyst societies—Boston, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia—merged with the intention of promoting the exchange of ideas and promoting the welfare of their profession.In 1962, some of these financial analysts created the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and established a code of conduct. The following year, the profession was legalized when 284 candidates sat the first CFA exam and 268 CFA credentials were awarded.Therefore, in 2004, the Association for Investment Management and Research voted to change its name to the CFA Institute. In February 2019, the United States Department of Justice said it would fine the CFA Institute more than $320,000 for discriminating against qualified American workers by hiring temporary foreign workers through the H-1B visa program.Additionally, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CFA Institute has canceled the majority of exams worldwide due to the lack of exam facilities in 2020.By 2021, all exams for the three levels of the CFA program have been converted to computer-based testing. In March 2021, the CFA Institute launched the ESG Investing Certificate due to the increasing importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in socially responsible investing.
Eligibility for the CFA Institute Access Scholarship Program
To protect the integrity of the CFA Institute Access Scholarship Program, the following Official Rules (“Rules”) are binding on all participants in the Program:
- Scholarship candidates can be either new or existing in the CFA program.
- There is no minimum or maximum income or wealth level for grantees.
- Candidates do not qualify if their current employer provides financial assistance to participate in the CFA program.
- Candidates can only receive one CFA Institute Access scholarship program per calendar year.
- A candidate can only receive one scholarship per exam. Thus, if a candidate applies for both an Access and Awareness grant and receives an award, the remaining applications will be nil.
- Interview date, schedule and venue for the scholarship program
- Applications will be reviewed by the CFA Institute and/or a local CFA Institute affiliate in the geographic area of the scholarship candidate.
- While financial need is heavily considered, grants may be awarded based on a combination of factors including financial need; the academic, professional or other achievements of the candidate; barriers overcome by the candidate; contributions to the local community; the candidate’s interest in pursuing the CFA Charter; and other personal attributes that show the individual is a strong candidate to receive an Access scholarship program and become a CFA charter holder.
- Note that once your application has been processed, you will be informed of the decision by email. Applicants can expect a decision by July 31, 2022 at the latest.
How to Apply for the CFA Institute Access Scholarship Program
Sign up and complete the CFA Program Scholarship Application. Applicants can expect a notice of assessment by July 31, 2022 at the latest.For further information, click here: The application deadline for the scholarship program is June 30, 2022