Eligibility:
Who is eligible:
- Current, surviving spouses and spouses of retirees of a Uniformed Service member; Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, National Guard, Reserves, Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Spouses must be enrolled in DEERS.
Who is not eligible:
- Current Federal Employees, including Active-Duty personnel
- Current employees of contractors serving the United States government
- Current employees of companies that provide investment advice or investment trading services, including registered investment advisers and broker-dealer firms
- Active Duty or Reserve Component members of the Armed Forces
- Holders of active securities licenses
- Those already enrolled in the AFCPE® Certification program
- Those who previously accepted the Fellowship but did not complete the program
Program Requirements
Candidates must complete all the requirements below before receiving the AFC® (Accredited Financial Counselor®) certification:
Education: Complete self-study of the course materials (utilizing webinar review sessions)
Examination: Pass the AFC® certification exam
Experience: Complete 1000 experience hours and submit monthly experience hour reports to AFCPE®
Ethics: Sign and adhere to the AFCPE® Code of Ethics
Fellowship Value
The program's value is approximately $3,000 and is generously funded by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The Fellowship includes the AFC course registration fee, program materials, webinar review sessions, and up to two attempts at the AFC certification exam. AFCPE membership for one year is included. Costs associated with maintaining certification, including annual certification fees, ongoing continuing education units, and annual membership after fellowship completion, are the responsibility of the AFC® professional. Learn more about post-certification requirements here.
Program Timeframe
Individuals have 3 years to complete all AFC® Fellowship program requirements. The 2026 Fellows will begin on September 1, 2026, and will have a completion deadline of August 31, 2029.
2026 FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship
Eligibility:
Who is eligible:
- Current, surviving spouses and spouses of retirees of a Uniformed Service member; Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, National Guard, Reserves, Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Spouses must be enrolled in DEERS.
Who is not eligible:
- Current Federal Employees, including Active-Duty personnel
- Current employees of contractors serving the United States government
- Current employees of companies that provide investment advice or investment trading services, including registered investment advisers and broker-dealer firms
- Active Duty or Reserve Component members of the Armed Forces
- Holders of active securities licenses
- Those already enrolled in the AFCPE® Certification program
- Those who previously accepted the Fellowship but did not complete the program
Program Requirements
Candidates must complete all the requirements below before receiving the AFC® (Accredited Financial Counselor®) certification:
Education: Complete self-study of the course materials (utilizing webinar review sessions)
Examination: Pass the AFC® certification exam
Experience: Complete 1000 experience hours and submit monthly experience hour reports to AFCPE®
Ethics: Sign and adhere to the AFCPE® Code of Ethics
Fellowship Value
The program's value is approximately $3,000 and is generously funded by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The Fellowship includes the AFC course registration fee, program materials, webinar review sessions, and up to two attempts at the AFC certification exam. AFCPE membership for one year is included. Costs associated with maintaining certification, including annual certification fees, ongoing continuing education units, and annual membership after fellowship completion, are the responsibility of the AFC® professional. Learn more about post-certification requirements here.
Program Timeframe
Individuals have 3 years to complete all AFC® Fellowship program requirements. The 2026 Fellows will begin on September 1, 2026, and will have a completion deadline of August 31, 2029.