New financial planning degree scholarship opens for women, minorities

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Minority groups and women in Shawnee Co. can now apply for a $5,000 scholarship to pursue a financial planning degree at K-State.

Advisors Excel says it recently created three $5,000 scholarships meant to encourage minorities and women to pursue a degree in Kansas State University’s Personal Financial Planning program. Each scholarship is eligible to be renewed annually.

“For the 20 years I’ve been in the financial services industry, there have been many discussions about the lack of minorities and women in the profession,” said Advisors Excel Co-Founder Cody Foster. “We want to start taking action and change that, and education seems like a great place to start. We are lucky to have one of the most recognized and respected Personal Financial Planning departments in the country, right down the road at Kansas State University, and we are excited to be partnering with them on this initiative.”

K-State’s PFP program is nationally ranked and prepares students for careers in the financial services industry. With on-campus and online degree programs, Advisors Excel said the coursework provides students the expertise in areas like investment, tax, insurance, and retirement planning nd the interpersonal communication skills needed to help residents pursue their financial and life goals.

Advisors Excel noted that the undergraduate, master’s, graduate certificate and Ph.D. programs are CFP Board registered, which allows students to sit for the certification exam when they graduate.

“Advisors Excel has been a strong partner of the Personal Financial Planning department, " said Dr. Martin Seay, department head and associate professor of Personal Financial Planning at K-State. “They are keenly interested in broadening awareness of financial planning as a career and supporting students’ professional development”

“This new scholarship initiative encapsulates that focus, providing the critical support needed to increase the diversity of the financial planning workforce, with a focus on reinvesting in their hometown of Topeka,” Seay concluded.

Advisors Excel indicated the scholarships are open to incoming minority or female students enrolled in the PFP program who live within Shawnee Co. Recipients will also have the chance to gain real-world experiences with an internship at the organization.

“In light of everything we’ve witnessed over the past few weeks, investing in solutions has to start taking place,” said Foster. “We believe one of the biggest opportunities to create lasting change is through financial empowerment and we hope this is the start of something that will create a long-term impact in our community.”

For more information about the scholarship, click HERE.