Disclosures: The Scholarship Committee reviews all scholarship applications. Those who meet guidelines shall be awarded scholarships as long as funding for scholarships is available or as long as the Institute runs the scholarship program. To be eligible for an Investments & Wealth Foundation Scholarship, applicants must be a United States citizen or permanent resident with a green card to work in the United States and be a self-identified member of a protected category under the Federal Civil Rights laws (race, sex, age, religion, ethnicity, etc.) or be a self-identified member of a category that has not yet been universally recognized as protected but has been discriminated against, such as lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender or as otherwise self-identified as within a designated by the Institute. The other designated category for scholarships is financial need. The Institute cannot assess actual wealth and income of candidates. The Institute has determined that financial need shall be based upon how much the employer contributes to the applicants’ certification endeavors. To wit, the program is also designed to help those working within the independent RIA channel who do not get significant employer financial assistance for continuing education and/or participation in voluntary certifications. If seeking a scholarship under the “other category,” two references from nonrelated persons are required. The Investments & Wealth Foundation can keep applications active for the program year to possibly grant acceptance in 3rd or 4th quarters if funds are not available. Female applicants are eligible for scholarships funded by the Women in Wealth scholarship fund, and applicants from Independent RIA firms are supported by scholarships from the Center for RIA Excellence. All applicants should have nearly three years’ experience in financial services and meet the qualifications of the certification program for which they are applying. Candidates should also have demonstrated professional, volunteer, or civic/community leadership experience and/or be committed to fully engage and complete the certifications for which they are applying in a reasonable period of time. Scholarship awards are dependent upon an agreement to enroll into a certification program within 4-6 months upon the scholarship award being granted.