Student CFA Scholarship Program

This program offers reduced costs for college or university students enrolling in the CFA Program.

Who is eligible to sponsor students?

A sponsoring professor must be a CFA charterholder in good standing and a full-time faculty member at the student’s university and must teach at least six credit hours per quarter or semester. Administrators must teach a minimum of three hours. The university must offer a U.S. bachelor's degree (or equivalent) or higher. Professors on leave or sabbatical from their primary university six months before the exam are not eligible. Professors may establish their own criteria for selecting student scholars. Discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, or nationality is prohibited. Suggestions for criteria include financial need, scholastic grades, or essays.

Who is eligible to apply for the scholarship?

Student scholarships are only available to new Level I candidates enrolling and registering for the first time. Applicants must be full-time college or university students in their final undergraduate year, scheduled to receive a U.S. bachelor’s degree or comparable non-U.S. degree, or full- or part-time graduate students. Applicants must attend the same university where the sponsoring professor teaches. Applicants must fulfill all CFA candidate requirements to enroll and must confirm receipt of their degree in writing to progress to the next exam.

How many scholarships can a professor award?

A professor may award a maximum of five student scholarships per fiscal year. Universities with more than one qualified professor on staff may award a maximum of 10 scholarships per fiscal year. Each fiscal year incorporates the December exam and the June exam of the following year.

What does the scholarship cover?

For the current exam offering, the CFA Program enrollment fee (if applicable) is waived and the exam registration fee is discounted. Student scholars pay only the cost of curriculum (December 2009 exam curriculum is US$220; June 2010 exam curriculum is US$225) plus any applicable taxes and import duties. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. Scholarships cannot be deferred to another exam offering.

Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, and JCB are accepted. CFA Institute does not accept Discover, debit cards, or other cards and does not invoice for payment. Checks and money orders are accepted. If you have already enrolled and registered for the current exam offering, you may request a refund in the appropriate section of the Scholarship Verification Form.