CFA Society Los Angeles CFA® Exam Scholarships

Scholarship Overview

Scholarship Purpose

The CFA Society Los Angeles CFA® Exam Scholarship aims to reduce the financial barriers for the CFA® Program for candidates who demonstrate financial need in the Los Angeles Area.

Eligible Exam Windows

If awarded, the recipient can apply the scholarship to the following exams: November 2026 **  February 2027 **  May 2027 **  August 2027

Scholarship Amount

If awarded, the recipient will receive a total of $1000 made in two separate payments.

First Payment

Candidates will have two (2) options for receiving the first scholarship payment.

Option 1

Register for their chosen CFA® exam and select the payment method of "Invoice". CFA Society Los Angeles will provide a payment of $500 directly to CFA Institute. The candidate will need to pay the remaining balance to CFA Institute by ACH/wire transfer or check. Candidates will not have the option to pay by credit card under this payment method.

Option 2

Register for their chosen CFA exam and pay by credit card. Submit the exam registration receipt to CFA Society Los Angeles within 30 days of that registration and a check will be provided directly to the candidate.

Second Payment

Recipients have 30 days after the exam results have been released to submit a copy of the results to CFA Society Los Angeles. Once received, an additional payment of $500 will be provided to the recipient. 

Need to Defer Your Exam?

• Awarded Scholarship Candidates may only defer their exam ONCE and must register for an exam within One (1) Calendar Year of the original exam (ex. November 2026, latest deferment would be November 2027).
• Candidates must also notify CFA Society Los Angeles within 30 Days of the deferment to remain eligible for the full scholarship amount.

Geographical Footprint

This scholarship is intended to support CFA® Program candidates in the Los Angeles area. Applicants must live, work, or attend a college/university within the CFA Society Los Angeles geographic footprint as of the scholarship application deadline. Applicants who relocate outside the CFA Society Los Angeles geographic footprint after the application deadline must notify CFA Society Los Angeles within 30 days of the move.

CFA® Program Eligibility Requirements

Meet all CFA Program eligibility requirements set forth by CFA Institute:

Education

• Have received a bachelor's degree (or equivalent program) from a college or university
• OR be a current undergraduate student:
  • Level I Candidates: Your CFA® exam window must be 23 months or fewer before your graduation month for a bachelor’s degree or equivalent program.
  • Level II Candidates: Must be within 11 months of your graduation month for a bachelor’s degree or equivalent program.
  • Level III Candidates: Must have completed a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) OR accrued 4,000 hours of professional work experience.

Valid Passport

CFA Institute requires that every CFA Program candidate have a valid international travel passport. If you don’t have a passport, you will not be able to sit for your exam.

Language Proficiency

CFA Program exams are only offered in English. Exams require English proficiency for reading comprehension and formulating answers to complex financial scenarios.

Exam Attempts Limit

Each CFA Program candidate is allowed up to 6 total attempts per exam level.

• Partial Exam attempts and/or disqualifications do count toward the 6 limit.

CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct

Abide by the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct

For Full CFA Exam Eligibility Requirements, please review on CFA Institute's Website

CFA® Exam Enrollment

Conflict of Interest

Scholarships cannot be awarded to immediate family members of CFALA officers, directors, volunteer chairs, and any volunteers on the scholarship commission, or to CFALA employees or their immediate families.

Online Scholarship Application

During the application window noted above, the Scholarship application will be available to apply for HERE . We STRONGLY recommend NOT filling out the application on mobile devices. You will receive a confirmation email after submitting your application. If you do not receive a confirmation email, contact us for assistance at info@cfala.org

Financial Information

You will be asked to provide the following financial information.

• Total Household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) (Refer to IRS Form 1040, line 11)
• Total Household Size (Please include yourself and all dependents living within the household)
• Total Expenses Accrued in 2025

Supplemental Information

You will be asked to provide the following supplemental information (you may upload this material during your application) OR you can have it sent via email to info@cfala.org prior to the scholarship deadline.

• Proof of Residency within the Los Angeles footprint.
• Two letters of recommendation (including one from a professor for full-time students, one from a supervisor for employed applicants, one from a former employer / colleague / supervisor for unemployed applicants)
• Transcript of grades (Official or Unofficial Transcripts will be accepted)
• Current Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Decisions

Decisions are expected to be announced by the end of April. 

Scholarship applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• CFA Institute qualifications for registration as a CFA Program candidate
• Career objectives consistent with the goals of an investment professional.
• Prior experience demonstrating ability as and/or interest in becoming an investment professional
• Financial need  

The Scholarship Commission of CFA Society of Los Angeles will select the scholarship recipients, and its decisions are final. Because the selection process involves the evaluation of information that differs from applicant to applicant, some subjectivity may enter the process. Every application, however, will be thoroughly evaluated based upon what has been submitted, and the Commission will make every attempt to ensure that the fairest possible selection process is employed. No one shall be denied a scholarship  on account of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status or handicap.

No additional information regarding the selection criteria or the selection process is or will be made available from any member or employee of CFALA. Any applicant who in any way attempts to influence any member of the Scholarship Commission on his or her own behalf will be immediately disqualified.

Providing knowingly false or misleading information in applying for a Scholarship is a violation of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. If the CFA Society Los Angeles Scholarship Commission suspects your application contains inaccurate, deceptive, or untruthful information, you may be subject to an investigation by the CFA Institute Professional Conduct Program. Disciplinary sanctions may include a suspension or prohibition from participating in the CFA® Program, CFA Institute, and with CFA Society Los Angeles. You may also become ineligible to receive scholarships in the future.

Once awarded, the recipient must notify CFA Society Los Angeles on how they would like to proceed with the first payment and register for the CFA® program exam (once registration opens). It is the Recipient's responsibility to communicate any registrations, deferrals, and exam release results. Failure to provide and notify CFA Society Los Angeles may result in the loss of the scholarship. Exam results must be submitted within 30 days of the release date to receive the second payment. 

Since the first CFA® designation was awarded in 1963, more than 200,000 investment professionals have earned the CFA designation. CFA® charterholders develop a balanced approach to investment and are prepared to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving profession. CFA charterholders also adhere to a strict code of professional and ethical standards. As a result, a growing number of firms around the world favor CFA charterholders when hiring and promoting security analysts, portfolio managers, and other investment professionals. Individual clients also recognize the CFA designation as a sign of integrity and professional excellence when selecting investment advisors and managers.