Four women standing in front of the Symposium blue wall smiling and taking selfies

Your Path to Experiencing Symposium Starts Here.

Apply for a scholarship to attend AFCPE Symposium in the D.C. Metro area. Network with industry leaders, gain cutting-edge insights, and return home ready to transform your community. The application window opens June 15th, 2026 and closes July 20th, 2026. Make a plan to apply or to sponsor someone’s journey.

Apply Soon
Gift a Scholarship

The Impact of a Symposium Scholarship

A Symposium Scholarship covers full in-person registration to the AFCPE Symposium in Bethesda, Maryland on November 17-19, 2026. Attending Symposium gives you:

Keynote speaker Rahkim Sabree onstage at Symposium

Dynamic Keynotes and Expert-led Sessions

Insightful and Invaluable Networking

Professional Development Opportunities

Community Impact and Empowerment

Applications Open Soon

Are You Eligible for a Symposium Scholarship?

We look forward to reviewing applications during this year’s scholarship window. We also recognize that your time is valuable. Please review the eligibility requirements below: 

To be eligible for a Symposium Scholarship, applicants must be ONE of the following:  

  • Employed (full-time or part-time) 
  • Student (full-time or part-time)  
  • First time attendee 
  • Financial Coach, Counselor, or Educator serving or committed to seeing underserved communities  
  • Financial Coach, Counselor, or Educator serving or committed to serving the military community 
  • Current or graduated FINRA Foundation Fellow 
  • Individuals with a desire to help others with their money 
  • Experiencing a financial hardship that would otherwise prevent in-person attendance  and must not: 
  • Receive any organizational support or reimbursement to attend Symposium.  
  • Be registered for Symposium at the time of application, award, and acceptance.  
  • Have not received, accepted, or utilized a Symposium scholarship award in the past twelve (12) months.  

Complete online application including:

  • Contact information
  • Employment information (if applicable)
  • Student information (if applicable)
  • Demographic information
  • Military Connections (if applicable)
  • FINRA Fellow Status (if applicable)*
  • AFCPE Membership Status (if applicable)**
  • 3 Essay Questions

Please print your application for your records before you submit. Once you submit your application, AFCPE will not be able to return it to you, in whole or in part, for any reason.

Applications are evaluated and scored by AFCPE volunteers and are reviewed by staff. Reviewers will select individuals whom they believe are most likely to leverage this opportunity. They will select applicants who are eager to learn and plan to apply the skills and knowledge gained to benefit their careers, their organizations, and their communities. All decisions are final.  

Scholarships will be awarded in early August 2026. All applicants will be notified of their application status via email. An AFCPE staff member will work with selected recipients to complete their Symposium registration. Recipients are responsible for scheduling travel plans and hotel bookings*. All travel-related expenses, including lodging, transportation, meals, and incidentals are the sole responsibility of the recipient and are not reimbursable by AFCPE*. 

Acceptance of Symposium Scholarship requires completion of a post-scholarship award survey. Survey responses are confidential and will be used to improve future scholarship opportunities.  

*FINRA Foundation Fellows awarded a scholarship by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation will receive two (2) complimentary hotel nights.  

**AFCPE Membership is not required to apply. 

AFCPE does not reimburse for any fees or expenses incurred prior to award. AFCPE employees, board members, and their immediate family are not eligible to apply for AFCPE scholarships. 

Symposium Scholarship Recipient Impact Stories

AFCPE reached out to DALS Credit Solutions Co. with a Symposium Scholarship opportunity. That opened a door I didn’t know existed. I am now actively pursuing certification and have already requested to speak at the 2025 Symposium. If you are in the field or exploring it, I highly encourage you to register. You won’t just attend a conference—you’ll join a movement.
Lynette Stevenson
Lynette StevensonCCCM™, CFCM™, CPCM™
Attending the 2024 AFCPE Symposium was an incredible opportunity for my coaching career and I'm so thankful to have been a scholarship recipient. The connections that were initiated and deepened will no doubt continue to serve me throughout my career. I also can't say enough about the quality of the presentations that I got to attend. I learned, I laughed, and I cried. More than once. This work we do is so vital and attending Symposium left me inspired and re-energized to continue on this path. Together, we can all play a role in this powerful work!
Ruth Middleton
Ruth MiddletonAFC® Candidate
Receiving a scholarship to attend the AFCPE Symposium in 2024 was such a gift to me professionally. As a financial coach starting my new private practice, I would not have been able to attend otherwise due to the costs. At the Symposium, I was able to meet new friends and connect with other colleagues in person, who I'd previously only met online. We learned from each other, encouraged each other, and also laughed a lot. Explaining financial counseling and coaching to my financial planning friends or those in my community can feel lonely at times. Attending the Symposium showed me that I'm not alone in this career choice and that I actually have a lot of support. I always leave the Symposium so inspired to get the word out about financial counseling and coaching and to help more people improve financial wellbeing.
Photo of Brittany H. Bramlett AFC®
Brittany H. BramlettAFC ®
Attending the 2024 AFCPE Symposium as a scholarship recipient was an incredibly valuable experience. As a financial coach who works with families  raising children with disabilities, it was encouraging to connect with professionals committed to making financial guidance more accessible and inclusive. The Symposium strengthened my commitment to earning the AFC® and provided practical insights to better equip me in empowering the families I serve. I’m truly grateful to the donors who made this opportunity possible.
Stacy Blackshear
Stacy BlackshearM.Ed
Attending the AFCPE Symposium on a Symposium Scholarship gave me a chance to network with educators, practitioners, and researchers. Other conferences I attend often don’t provide the diversity of professionals. At the end of Symposium, I am always excited about what I have learned and the professionals I have met. My notebook is full of research results, counseling approaches, teaching strategies, and new contacts for networking. The Scholarship was what opened this door.
Lorna Saboe-Wounded Head
Lorna Saboe-Wounded HeadAFC®
I received my certification as an AFC in June 2024, and attending the Symposium presented an invaluable opportunity to connect with fellow professionals, gain insights from leading experts, and explore the latest tools and strategies in financial counseling. The knowledge and skills I acquired through peer networking and various sessions directly enhanced my ability to support clients more effectively, stay current with industry trends, and contribute meaningfully to the financial well-being of individuals and families.
Teffany Henderson
Teffany Henderson MA, AFC®
Starting my private financial coaching practice has been both rewarding and challenging. My mission to help close the wealth gap by serving historically neglected communities keeps me motivated. However, I also know the importance of being a part of the AFCPE movement with like-minded professionals is crucial. Receiving a scholarship to attend the 2024 AFCPE Symposium provided the space to build valuable relationships and continue to hone my skills so that I can serve more effectively. I will definitely pay it forward!
Sylvia Watford
Sylvia WatfordAFC®, FFC®

Featured Symposium Scholarship Impact Story: Dr. Brandy Baxter

Former Board President Brandy Baxter on stage at Symposium

Early in her career, Dr. Brandy Baxter, former AFCPE Board President and an Accredited Financial Counselor®, was invited to attend AFCPE Symposium. At the time, registration was cost-prohibitive. That’s when she was informed of a Symposium Scholarship opportunity. It changed her life and impacted the future of AFCPE. We invite you to read Brandy’s career-changing story.

Apply Starting June 15th
Gift a Scholarship

Thank You to Our 2025 Symposium Scholarship Sponsors

Symposium scholarships exist because of generous support from organizations and individuals in the AFCPE community.

Gold Sponsors

blue lettering and white background for the FINRA investor education foundation logo

Bronze Sponsors

Partner Sponsors

headshot of a woman with greenery in the background

Tim Stueve (USCG Retired)
Cherie Stueve, PhD, CFP®, AFC®, FFC®, FBS®, CAP®

Become a Scholarship Sponsor: Help Others Experience Symposium

Every year, Symposium brings together financial counselors, academics, researchers, military servicemembers, public servants, nonprofit leaders, and private practitioners, all united by a passion for growth and service. For many, attending Symposium is a turning point: they return home inspired, equipped, and ready to create real change in their communities. 

But not everyone can attend without help. Your support, whether through a full scholarship, a student scholarship, or a smaller but equally meaningful gift, opens doors for those who need it most.

Learn About Sponsorship

Symposium Scholarship Giving Impact Stories

During my career change into personal finance, I didn’t have a professional network other than a few military spouses in my FINRA Foundation Fellowship Cohort of 2011. But attending the AFCPE Symposium, thanks to scholarships and the FINRA Fellowship, drastically changed that for me. For the first time, I felt connected to professionals that shared my passion and could mentor me in this second chapter. I have found peers, mentors, mentees, friends, and inspiration to keep growing and giving back. That’s why my spouse Tim and I created a Symposium scholarship this year: to reduce a financial barrier to another military spouse, because I know as a military spouse we tend to put everyone else first and struggle to invest in ourselves. We hope the conference fee scholarships will open the door for another military spouse to attend Symposium, feel welcomed, and take that next professional step. We know how impactful just one opportunity can be. For me, it was the FINRA Foundation Fellowship. And we hope our choice encourages others to say, 'Yes! I want to help others with any size of gift or donation.' I would love it if some would want to level up their own potential to give back. The AFCPE Symposium is more than an event - it's a starting point, a space to grow and connect, and an important space as a homecoming.
Cherie Stueve, PhD
Cherie Stueve, PhD CFP® AFC® FFC® FBS® CAP®
Two men of color standing and applauding at Symposium

Symposium Scholarship Applications Open This Summer: Mark Your Calendars

AFCPE Symposium 2026 in the D.C. Metro area brings together the brightest minds in financial counseling and education. Apply for a scholarship between June 15–July 20, 2026 to join them—or sponsor a colleague’s journey and multiply the impact across our profession.

Apply Soon
Donate a Scholarship

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