The Externship is only available during the summer — from June to August! We only host this 8-week program once a year because it is so in-depth and requires the support of our entire team, all our sponsors, and our tech partners. It’s a labor of love, one that we look forward to each year. 

The Externship will be between 15-25 hours every week if taken within eight weeks (June 1-July 31st for the live content). This includes time in the course, time spent working on the homework and time learning the software. To earn 500 CFP Board Standard Pathway experience hours, you will need to complete all homework assignments before the end of the program.

Yes! In previous years, we’ve had Externs who worked a full-time job and were still able to participate and complete The Externship. The program was designed with scheduling flexibility in mind and can be completed on your time. There are live elements each week, but they are recorded and available for you to watch at your convenience.

Every week there will be live office hours and calls. We would love it if you could make the calls and ask questions live, but if you can’t, replays will be posted within 24 hours for you to watch. 

You will need a modern browser to access the course on our site and the ability to access files hosted by Google. You’ll also need a U.S.-based IP address, so use a VPN if needed!

Here is a sample week. NOTE: Not all weeks will perfectly align with this!

The Externship is designed to introduce you to some basic financial planning principles — and to show you how to work with clients well. Even if you’re not a financial planner or a student learning about financial planning, you can take so much away from The Externship! 

The beauty of being a financial planner is that our learning is never done! While you may not need CFP Board experience hours, there is a lot of valuable information, and you get the ability to learn from other experts — and take a peek inside their financial planning practices. In fact, we have a number of firm owners and veteran advisors who take The Externship to learn from other professionals and stay on the cutting edge of this profession. 

Yes! There are so many great reasons to become a financial planner and The Externship will highlight different career paths available to you (more than you’ll learn about in school!). Many career-changing Externs have said this program helped clarify their direction in their career as well as bring context to what they learn in their university’s program.

Each year, about 40% of our Externs are career changers! Whether you love numbers, want to help people live their best lives, or find fulfillment in working on teams, financial planning may be your ideal career path. The Externship showcases just what a planner’s work looks like, and how you can make an impact with this career!

Yes! We love seeing familiar faces! In fact, almost a quarter of our Externs every year are “return Externs” who’ve completed the program in previous years. Plus, you can get RE-certified for eMoney, as so much has changed with their platform! 

Yes, our sponsors are generous enough to help us with scholarships every year. There are nearly 100 scholarships we provide each year to applicants with financial need. Please click here to submit your scholarship application. Have a resume and Letter of Recommendation ready!