There is value in an AFC® – now, more than ever.
The deadline to apply for the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship is April 14th, 2023. Help us spread the word, starting now!
The fellowship is a unique opportunity for military spouses to earn a career-enhancing credential – the AFC® (Accredited Financial Counselor®) – while providing financial counseling and education to the military community.
Please share the messages and resources below! Help us spread the word to military service leaders, colleagues, and peers.
Social Media
Help us reach military spouses in your social network!
Right click and save the images below. Share whichever images you prefer on social media with the sample language provided, or with your own language. Be sure to use the hashtags #proudFINRAfellow and #FINRAfellow.
*Note that this is a Save the Date flyer
Get excited! On March 1st, applications finally open for the 2023 Military Spouse Fellowship 
Spread the word and join the Interest List now to learn more and stay in the #FINRAFellow loop: bit.ly/FINRAfellow
Learn more about the #Milspouse Fellowship and how you can advance your career today! The deadline to apply is April 14th, 2023.
Learn more now: bit.ly/FINRA2023 @FINRAFoundation #proudFINRAfellow
Do you believe in a future where all people deserve financial security?
Help make it a reality: Become an Accredited Financial Counselor®!
Learn more about the #Milspouse Fellowship today and apply at bit.ly/FINRA2023! The deadline is April 14th, 2023. #FINRAFellow
Begin a career that moves and grows with you in a community like no other!
The @FINRAFoundation #Milspouse Fellowship program application is open until April 14th. Learn more: bit.ly/FINRA2023 #proudFINRAfellow
Invest in yourself: Earn your AFC® and learn how to help others build their financial confidence! #proudFINRAfellow
Apply for the @FINRAFoundation Military Spouse Fellowship. Learn more here: bit.ly/FINRA2023 #ValueOfAnAFC
GIFs
Help us reach military spouses in your social network!
Right-click and save the images below. Share whichever images you prefer on social media!
Healthcare Careers
Social Services Careers
Education Careers
Multiple Careers
Spouse Stories
Share the stories and get to know past recipients of the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship:
On AFCPE's Blog
#FridayFollow: Knowledge Creates Impact
After talking to an AFC® on JBSA Randolph (Joint Base San Antonio – Randolph Airforce Base), Darya Morrison realized working as a financial counselor was the job of her dreams. In 2020 she applied for the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship and was selected as a recipient!⠀
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We talked to Darya about what her life looks like now as she works to complete the program. Read more here.
#FridayFollow: Taking the Leap
Delicia Carswell was always interested in personal finance, and even helped her friends with their finances when she was in college.⠀
Delicia used the skills and tools she gained in the Fellowship program to launch her career in personal finance. She worked for a government contract and now owns her own private practice, Elite Financial Consulting!⠀
Read more about Delicia’s journey here.
In The News:
Find more stories like these on FINRA Foundation’s webpage or on AFCPE’s blog.
Copy and paste the language below in an email and send it out to your network.
In times like these, we are reminded that now, more than ever, we need qualified, caring professionals to help families navigate financial difficulties.
The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) in partnership the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation will accept applications for the 2023 FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program beginning March 1, 2023: bit.ly/FINRA2023.
The program provides up to 30 military spouses with the education necessary to earn the AFC® (Accredited Financial Counselor®) certification and enter the financial counseling career field.
Many employers – such as banks and credit unions, non-profit and government agencies, higher education and financial aid offices, military service organizations, and community housing agencies – need well trained, ethical and caring financial counselors to meet the increasing demand for financial counseling services. Military spouses help fill this need while building a rewarding career that is flexible to the demands of the military family lifestyle.
The Fellowship covers the costs associated with completing the self-study AFC certification program. Upon successful completion of the education, exam, experience, and ethics requirements, the participant will be awarded the AFC certification.
The application deadline is April 14th, 2023. We encourage you to apply or help share this opportunity with others in your military spouse networks
Videos and Podcasts
All about the Military Spouse Fellowship Program
Never underestimate the power of video or podcasts – share these on social media or pass one along to a friend.
AFCPE® recognized the FINRA Foundation with the Setting the Standard award at the 2022 symposium.
The FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship program has made an incredible impact over the last 17 years – not only for the financial well-being of the military community but also in the lives of the military spouses who have had the opportunity to earn their AFC.
In this Facebook Live, co-hosts Rebecca and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson interview with two Military Spouse Fellows, Shay Cook of Crusaders4Change and Jen Hemphill. Shay and Jen share their experience applying for the Military Spouse Fellowship, how earning the AFC® certification impacted their careers, and answer audience questions about the program.
For service members, a missed credit card payment might do more than just ding their credit report, it could also jeopardize a hard-fought promotion. And for their spouses, move after move might be more than just a logistical hardship, it might also be the biggest hurdle in their own career growth. The FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program is just one program that is aiming to address both challenges.
Military Spouse Fellows share the most impactful part of the program
Jim Ketchum: The Fellowship is unique because it’s a combination of education and experience.
Laura Wittig: The Fellowship is portable, meaningful, and you get to empower servicemembers.
Megan Stolle: The Fellowship gives spouses the opportunity to reinvent themselves.
Award-Winning Military Spouse Fellows share their stories
Having the AFC Certification definitely helped launch my career.
“I’m the Executive Vice President for Communications and Operations for the Association of Military Banks of America or AMBA. Shortly after earning my certification, I moved with my spouse and daughters to the D.C. area… I ended up finding a job that fit me very well…it was a combination of being lucky and having the AFC® certification.”
Help others build their financial confidence.
“I was working with women that were recovering from drugs and alcohol… I remember that I would help them create a budget and I was just really struck on how severe finances could impact your life… When I was younger we really didn’t discuss finances in my house… so I could really relate to a lot of the women that I was assisting and that really did give me a passion for wanting to learn more.”
Reignite your passion.
“I was nineteen, going to college at USD to become a pediatric anesthesiologist. It was the dream I had has since I was in third grade, and I was going to school every day and I absolutely hated everything I was doing…so at the age of nineteen, I got into helping the military with their financial futures and it was wonderful… I applied because I was already in the financial industry and I wanted to see how I could expand on that and help support family members more. “
Andia Dinesen, Class of 2011
2022 Spouse Fellow of the Year
Adriana Lopez, Class of 2020
2021 Spouse Fellow of the Year
Danae Hoekstra, Class of 2014
2020 Spouse Fellow of the Year
Download and post this flyer digitally or in a location where military spouses will see it and want to learn more!
Thank you for your partnership and support of the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship program and our ongoing efforts to educate and protect military families!
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