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Freedom Scholarship

Freedom Scholarships for Military Service Members & Veterans

The College for Financial Planning®—a Kaplan Company awards several scholarships twice per year to individuals who serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. These military scholarships are available to eligible individuals who show significant potential or have already achieved outstanding success in finance, financial planning, and/or financial analysis, and who show promise of being future industry leaders.

Kaplan Earns 2026 Military Friendly® Employer and Military Spouse Friendly® Employer Designations

About Our Freedom Scholarships

These scholarships cover tuition for enrollment in the College’s CFP^® certification education, professional designation programs, and Master of Science degree programs (MS in Personal Financial Planning or MS in Financial Analysis).

Please Note: Additional printed materials, extensions, and fees are not included in the scholarship award.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Freedom Scholarship: Eligibility & Applications

Important Note: Students who are currently enrolled in any education program or course through the College for Financial Planning a Kaplan Company are not eligible to apply. Scholarship applications received from students who are currently enrolled will be automatically withdrawn from the scholarship application process.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Must be a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or an honorably discharged veteran and be able to provide documentation upon request.
Must not be a student who is currently enrolled in any education program or course through the College for Financial Planning a Kaplan Company
Must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an institution outside of the United States if applying for either a scholarship for CFP certification or Master of Science degree program. (Note: A bachelor’s degree is not required if applying for a professional designation scholarship.)
If applying for a scholarship for CFP certification or Master of Science degree program, must have the following experience:
- CFP certification: must have between two (2) and seven (7) years of experience in the financial planning profession
- Master of Science degree program: must have five (5) or more years of experience in financial planning
Provide a copy of current resume (see application below).
Provide a written response related to your goals and achievements (see application below).
Provide a written response to the following question: If this scholarship is an investment in you personally, what will be the return on investment you would bring to the financial planning profession? (500-750 words)
Provide one (1) letter of recommendation from a professional contact.

For each of these scholarships, recipients must also agree to enroll in and complete their education program as follows:

CFP Certification and Exam Prep Review Freedom Scholarship
- Enroll within 90 days of being awarded the Freedom Scholarship in either the College’s structured pace or self-paced program; and
- Complete the entire program within two years. (Exceptions can be made for a qualified military leave of absence.)
Designation Program Freedom Scholarship
- Enroll within 90 days of being awarded the Freedom Scholarship in a designation program; and
- Complete the program within 120 days after receiving online access. (Exceptions can be made for a qualified military leave of absence.)
Master of Science Degree Program Freedom Scholarship
- Apply for the master's program within 90 days of being awarded the Freedom Scholarship; and
- Complete the program within five (5) years. (Exceptions can be made for a qualified military leave of absence.)

The annual application deadlines are Memorial Day and Veterans Day of each year.

Application Deadlines	Application Period
Memorial Day: May 25, 2026	November 12, 2025 – May 25, 2026
Veterans Day: November 11, 2026	May 27, 2026 - November 11, 2026

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