Eliminating Barriers

Richard B. Wagner, JD, CFP
The Richard B. Wagner Memorial Scholarship was jointly established by the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning and the Financial Planning Association®. In honor of his legacy, the scholarship supports the cultivation of a robust and diverse new generation of CFP® professionals by helping to eliminate one of the critical barriers: education costs. This scholarship program enables qualified individuals from underrepresented populations to complete the education requirement for CFP® certification or to continue their education through FPA® professional development programs.

The late Dick Wagner was a thought leader, financial planner, attorney and writer, as well as a passionate champion of competent, ethical financial advice as a profession. 

The Richard B. Wagner Memorial Scholarship Fund is meant to advance and diversify the certified professional planner professional workforce in his honor. 

Wagner died in 2017 at age 68. He held the CFP certification and was a well-known thinker and columnist writing about the nature of economics and putting the financial planning profession in a historical context. He also had a passion for building the profession and empowering younger financial planners to succeed.

The scholarship program is administered by FPA volunteer leaders and applications for conferences will become available here as they arise.

Scholarship Availability: 

  • FPA Spring Residency Scholarship (2025 Scholarship is now closed.)
  • FPA Fall Residency Scholarship (2025 Scholarship is now closed.)
  • FPA NexGen Gathering (2025 Scholarship is now open. Apply now)
  • FPA Annual Conference (2025 Scholarship is now closed.)
  • Other FPA Professional Development Programs as Applicable

Scholarship Eligibility:

  • Must be a student seeking to complete a CFP Board-registered program (certificate or university) that would qualify the individual to sit for the CFP exam - OR-
  • CFP professionals
  • Applicants must reside in the United States, demonstrate financial need, and be part of an under-represented populated related to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or those with disabilities. 

Due to IRS reporting requirements, awardee names, mailing addresses and contact information will be shared with CFP Board for tax purposes. 

Donate to the scholarship fund today!

Learn more about the What is Finology? Project, the Wagner family's legacy non-profit.