CFP Board Announces Cherlyn Rugg as 1,000th Scholarship Awardee
WASHINGTON, June 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CFP Board today announced Cherlyn Rugg as the 1,000th recipient of a scholarship offered by CFP Board Center for Financial Planning. The milestone reflects CFP Board’s ongoing efforts to expand access to CFP® certification and strengthen the pipeline of future financial planners. Rugg is receiving the Edelman Financial Engines CFP® Certification Scholarship for Overcoming Adversity, a $5,000 award supporting candidates who have demonstrated resilience on their path to CFP® certification.
“Cherlyn’s story demonstrates exactly why expanding access into this profession matters,” said CFP Board CEO K. Dane Snowden. “She has already shown remarkable perseverance and a commitment to helping others — qualities that make a great CFP® professional. Every scholarship CFP Board Center for Financial Planning awards creates a ripple effect that reaches future clients, families and communities for years to come.”
Rugg, a graduate of the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is pursuing CFP® certification through the College for Financial Planning. She is in her third year working in wealth management and has become fully licensed with FINRA and NASAA and obtained her California insurance licenses. She’s an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Colville, a federally recognized Native American tribe in Washington state.
“I am thrilled to be the 1,000th scholarship recipient,” said Cherlyn Rugg. “I chose to pursue a career in financial planning because I have witnessed firsthand how limited access to financial resources and education can perpetuate cycles of hardship. I want to be part of helping individuals and families build stability and create options for their future. I am also excited to join a field that was once considered 'off-limits' for women – hopefully inspiring others to do the same.”
A decade ago, CFP Board Center for Financial Planning awarded its first handful of scholarships, driven by the vision to expand the financial planning workforce. Ten years of growth and development later, this vision is being realized, with 1,000 scholarships awarded and counting. These scholarships are funded by a variety of firms, foundations and individuals and fall into three categories: Exam, Exam Review, and Education Scholarships. Awards can range from $625 towards the exam fee up to $10,000 for students in an undergraduate CFP Board Registered Program. CFP Board has awarded over $3.4 million in scholarships to date.
“Reaching 1,000 scholarship recipients is a meaningful milestone — and we're proud to have been part of this journey,” said Ralph Haberli, CEO and President of Edelman Financial Engines. “At Edelman Financial Engines, we believe every person deserves access to quality financial advice. Meeting that need starts with building a profession that reflects the people it serves, and meeting investors on their terms. When we invest in bringing more diverse talent into this profession, everyone benefits — the advisors who've found a path they might not have otherwise, and the clients who finally have an advisor who truly understands their story.”
Watch an interview with Cherlyn and hear her story firsthand here.
To learn more about CFP Board scholarships, visit cfp.net/scholarships.
ABOUT CFP BOARD
CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification — widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners — so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP® certification is held by more than 109,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession’s body of knowledge.
CONTACT: Jane Riley Jacobsen, Director of Public Relations, P: 202-379-2305, E: media@cfpboard.org
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