About this opportunity
Some of the sharpest finance talent in Nigeria and across Africa never sits the CFA exam, not because they cannot pass it, but because the registration fee is a year of rent. The Access Scholarship exists for exactly that reason. CFA Institute reduces the exam registration fee to USD 400 under the Premium Registration Package, which includes the Practice Pack, and applicable tax still applies.
This is a rolling programme with four application windows each year, one per exam window. The one open right now covers the August 2027 exams at Levels I, II and III. It opened on 3 November 2026, closes on 23 November 2026, and CFA Institute issues decisions on 18 December 2026.
There is no income or asset threshold you have to clear. The test is whether you meet the CFA Program entry requirements, whether you can genuinely not afford the full fees, and whether your application is honest. CFA Institute is blunt about that last point: knowingly false or misleading information is a breach of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct and can lead to a Professional Conduct investigation, suspension from the programme, or future scholarship ineligibility.
One scholarship covers one exam window, so plan your level and your date before you apply.
What you receive
- CFA Program exam registration fee reduced to USD 400 under the Premium Registration Package
- Practice Pack included in the Premium Registration Package for awards from 4 March 2026
- Access to the digital CFA curriculum on registration
- Scholarship valid for one examination window
Who can apply
- Meet the CFA Program entry requirements
- Be unable to afford the full CFA Program fees
- Not be currently registered for a CFA examination
- Not hold an active, unused CFA scholarship
- Submit only one application in the same application window
- Not have an open application for another CFA Institute scholarship programme
- Not receive financial assistance from your current employer for CFA Program participation
- Have complied with previous scholarship audit requirements where applicable
- Not have failed to register for or sit an exam under a previously awarded scholarship, subject to the applicable rules
Who should not apply
- The scholarship does not cover passports, travel, incidental expenses or supplementary study materials
- Applicants who provide knowingly false or misleading information may face a CFA Institute Professional Conduct investigation
Documents to prepare
- Details of your background and your CFA Program entry qualification, as requested in the application form
- A statement of your financial need, as requested in the application form
How to apply
- Read the Access Scholarship page on the CFA Institute site and the scholarship rules it links, including the window dates.
- Open the August 2027 Access Scholarship application on the CFA Institute scholarship portal at https://cfai.smapply.io/prog/access_scholarship_august_exam/ and submit before 23 November 2026.
- Wait for the award decision, which CFA Institute issues on 18 December 2026.
- If awarded, register for your exam using the scholarship rate stated in your award email.
Selection process
- CFA Institute reviews each application against the CFA Program entry requirements and the Access Scholarship rules.
- Awards are issued on the decision date shown for the application window, 18 December 2026 for the August 2027 exams.
Sources and verification
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