FAQs


WILL THIS PROGRAM QUALIFY ME TO SIT FOR THE CFP® CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION?
Yes. Upon successful completion of this program, students will meet the education requirements established by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and will be eligible to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination.

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT REQUIRED FOR STUDY OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM?
Depending on the student’s previous experience and education, a student can expect to spend between 1-2 hours outside of the classroom, for every hour in the classroom.

WHY CHOOSE BELMONT UNIVERSITY’S CERTIFICATE IN FINANCIAL PLANNING PROGRAM OVER ANOTHER PROGRAM?
Quality instruction is a must for any outstanding educational program.  All faculty members have advanced degrees and certifications and are experienced professionals in their respective fields.   This program is a joint effort between Belmont University and Kaplan Schweser. Kaplan Schweser is the leading provider of review materials and courses for the CFP® Certification Examination as well as a nationally recognized publisher of financial planning education materials and courses.  Combined with Belmont’s commitment to education, students entering this program can be assured of the best education available.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF ATTAINING CFP® CERTIFICATION?
Attaining CFP® certification requires the four E’s: Education, Examination, Experience and Ethics.

  • Education
    The Education requirement can be fulfilled by successfully completing Belmont’s Certificate in Financial Planning program. Once you become a CFP® certificant, you will be required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years.
  • Examination
    CFP® Certification Examination is given three times per year. Based on a 1999 Job Topic Study, the CFP Board issues a topic list covering 101 areas a candidate should be prepared to answer at the evaluation level or lower.
  • Experience
    If a candidate has a bachelor’s degree, three years of related work experience is necessary. Without a bachelor’s degree, the candidate must have five years of related work experience. In addition, this experience must be completed in the 10 years preceding the exam or five years after the exam.
  • Ethics
    CFP® certificants are required to abide by the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Financial Planning Practice Standards.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The Certificate in Financial Planning is a sequential six-course certificate program that meets every Monday or Tuesday night. Students can expect to complete the program in 12 months. Please refer to our web site http://scarlett.belmont.edu for the most current schedule of offerings.

ADMISSION CRITERIA
Participants in the Certificate program must have a four-year degree or equivalent work experience. As of 2007, in addition to completing courses that cover the financial planning topics required for CFP® certification, a bachelor's degree (or higher), or its equivalent, in any discipline, from an accredited college or university is required to attain CFP®  certification. The bachelor's degree requirement is a condition of initial certification; it is not a requirement to be eligible to take the CFP® Certification Examination. You have five years from the date you pass the CFP® Certification Examination to satisfy the bachelor's degree requirement. Any requests for exceptions to the above admissions requirements must be made in writing to the Program Administrator.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Students can download a copy of our application from http://scarlett.belmont.edu or call (615) 460-5554.

ENROLLMENT DEPOSIT AND TUITION
Tuition for the six-course curriculum is $4,200 plus books and materials. The tuition is required prior to the first day of class. Payment options may be available upon request.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Upon successful completion of all required courses, participants will receive a certificate of completion from Belmont University, a registered program with CFP Board. Students who successfully complete the certificate program will be eligible to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination.

PROGRAM INSTRUCTORS
Belmont University is proud to have assembled a team of outstanding instructors, in partnership with Kaplan Schweser. All instructors in the Certificate of Financial Planning program have either CFP® certification, a professional designation, or license.


Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP (with flame logo) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements. Belmont University does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and the federally registered CFP (with flame logo) certification marks. CFP certification is granted only by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met its ethics, experience and examination requirements.