The Extended Learning Certificate Program was created to help working professionals, and career changers achieve their goal of becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM. Our courses are developed and taught by financial planning industry experts who bring years of real-world perspective to the classroom.
The Extended Learning Certificate is a six-course program available to those who do not wish to enroll in a degree-seeking program. The certificate program is registered with the CFP Board of Standards. Students who successfully complete all six courses are eligible to sit for the CFP® Exam.
Course Format
All courses in our certificate program are taught 100% online. Our courses are taught on a semester-long schedule, and we have three sessions each year: spring, summer, and fall.
Course content is assigned on a weekly schedule. Students are not required to attend class on a certain day each week. While students can work at their own pace each week, students are expected to meet weekly deadlines.
Course Scheduling
Courses are offered three times a year: spring, summer, and fall semesters. Spring and fall courses are 15-weeks in length, summer courses are 10-weeks in length. General start and end time frames for each semester are as follows:
- Spring semester: mid-January through the first week of May
- Summer semester: Tuesday after Memorial Day through the first week of August
- Fall semester: last week of August through the first week of December
Certificate Program Requirements
- All courses are taught online through our learning management system. Students must have access to a computer/tablet and the internet.
- Courses taken for Extended Learning Credit do not count towards a degree at Texas A&M University and are not transferrable to an academic program.
- To be eligible for the CFP® Exam, you must successfully complete the six (6) required courses. Successful completion means earning a ‘C’ or better in each course.
- Students who successfully complete all six courses from the Texas A&M Financial Planning Program will receive an official certificate of completion.
Program Admission
Students wishing to enroll in courses for Extended Learning credit must fill out a Program Application first. There is no cost to submit an application. We will review your application and send course registration instructions if your application passes review. During busy times of the semester, it may take additional time for us to process applications.
It is strongly recommended that you have a four-year degree before enrolling in the program, or at least be working towards a bachelor’s degree. The CFP Board requires individuals to have earned a bachelor’s degree in order to obtain CFP® certification. Read more about CFP® Certification Process and Education Requirement.
Course Costs
- For courses taken as Extended Learning credit, the cost is $575 per course.
- We use seven textbooks throughout the program and each textbook is estimated to cost on average $130 each. Students are also required to have a financial calculator.
- We are a pay-as-you-go program and only require payment for the course(s) you intend to take in the upcoming semester. We do not require you to pay for the entire program up front. Payment is due at the time of course registration.
Scholarships & Financial Aid
The Extended Learning Certificate Program is considered continuing education and does not qualify for federal financial aid. Prospective students should consider the following for tuition payment:
- Seek employer funding or reimbursement
- Apply for a private education loan
- Register for individual courses over multiple semesters
The CFP Board has scholarships that are open to certificate students. Please visit their Scholarship & Financial Aid page for more details.
Veterans Benefits
To use VA Chapter Benefits at Texas A&M University, courses must be taken for academic credit. Because our Extended Learning Certificate program does not count for academic credit, we cannot accept veteran benefits at this time.
If you are interested in taking courses for academic credit, we recommend visiting with Aggie One Stop for more information. Our courses are only offered at the undergraduate level, which can create issues for veterans who already have a bachelor’s degree. We do not offer a master’s degree or graduate-level certificate in financial planning.
Apply to the Program
Complete our online Program Application to get started taking courses.
- Spring semester admission: Applications close one week before classes begin. Spring semester starts mid-January.
- Summer semester admission: Applications close one week before classes begin. Summer semester starts at the end of May.
- Fall semester admission: Applications close one week before classes begin. Fall semester starts towards the end of August.
