Each year, The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) in association with the National Military Family Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation offers the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Accredited Financial Counselor® Fellowship. This program is called a fellowship but it is basically a scholarship for the coursework and testing necessary to obtain the Accredited Financial Counselor designation. The coursework is done in conjunction with practicum hours to meet the designation requirements.
More information can be found at the National Military Family Association's website. From the website:
Many employers such as credit unions, financial aid offices, and community housing agencies need well-trained, ethical and caring financial counselors to meet the increasing demand for financial counseling services. Military spouses can fill this need while building a rewarding career that is flexible to the demands of the military family lifestyle.
Though quite a few fellowships are awarded each year, competition is tough. I applied three or four times before deciding to pursue the coursework outside of the fellowship. I have been registered for the course for nearly the entire allotted time and have not completed it yet. The work is not challenging, but our base does not offer the required testing facilities. After a year, I have finally convinced them that there must be some sort of suitable proctor available here despite the fact that I can't follow their guidelines exactly.
If you have an interest in personal finance, this program would be a great jump-start to a new career.
