The Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) credential has become the most respected and recognized investment designation in the world. Enrolling in the CFA Program is your first step toward earning this credential. The CFA Program curriculum covers concepts and skills you will use at all stages of your career, bridging academic theory, current industry practice, and ethical and professional standards to provide a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills.

Preparing and sitting for the CFA exam does require a variety of different fees. However, there are a variety of scholarships available to exam candidates to help offset these expenses.

Access Scholarship Program

CFA Institute opens Access Scholarship online application submission period from March 1 - September 15, for exams offered the following calendar year. The CFA Program Access Scholarship is a needs-based opportunity for those unable to afford the full price of the enrollment and registration fees.

Last year the program received over 8500 submissions from around the world and awarded 3400 CFA Access Program scholarships. Review the requirements online to see if you are eligible. The Access Scholarship Application is available now through the CFA Institute website.

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Award
The scholarship covers the one-time CFA Program enrollment fee (if applicable) and reduces the exam registration fee (includes access to the curriculum eBook) to US$250.*

Eligibility
Applicants must meet all CFA Program enrollment requirements. Review the requirements

Award Cycle
Access scholarships are awarded on or before December 1, to be applied to exams in the following year. Access Scholarship recipients may apply the award to the following:

• June exam (Levels I, II, and III) or
• December exam (Level I only)

Important Information
You must wait until scholarship notifications occur in December before you register for the June exam, or you will be ineligible for the scholarship and your application will be voided.

Because scholarship notifications occur after the early exam registration deadline has passed, CFA Institute offers a US$150 credit toward the June exam registration fee for those applicants who do not receive an Access Scholarship but who still wish to register for the June exam. The credit is applied during the exam registration checkout/payment process.*

• After you submit your scholarship application, you cannot make changes.
• If your financial situation changes, you may withdraw your application from consideration before October 15 of the year in which you applied.
• If you receive a scholarship and register for the exam, you must sit for that exam or you may be ineligible for future Access Scholarships.

Important Dates
Application for exams:
Must be completed by September 15

Access Scholarships: Official Rules (PDF)

The Access Scholarship Application is available through the CFA Institute website.

*The exam registration fee includes access to the curriculum eBook.

The CFA Society of Washington, DC (CFAW) is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships for local exam candidates designed to offset the expense of preparing and sitting for the CFA exam. There are two types of scholarships available to local candidates. There are Exam Scholarships and Study Materials Scholarships. These scholarships may be applied to Level I, II, or III exams offered in either June or December of 2019.

The online application opens November 2019.

Exam Scholarship: The Exam Scholarship will reimburse a candidate up to a maximum of $550 in exam fees paid to CFA Institute. Winners will be required to submit their exam registration receipt.

Study Materials Scholarship: The Study Materials Scholarship covers the entire cost of the Schweser training materials.

CFAW has a limited amount of scholarships available. We encourage all candidates to sign up for the exam and/or study program without delay. Selected recipients will be reimbursed accordingly. We will inform selected scholarship recipients in mid-February. Please note that employees of firms who reimburse for exam and/or study program costs are not eligible for CFAW-sponsored scholarships.

Complete Scholarship Application​