In the United States, academic institutions and programs use accreditation to ensure that they are meeting established standards of educational quality. Accreditation is a voluntary process of self-reflection and peer review that helps institutions to identify opportunities and challenges throughout the university.
The College for Financial Planning is a regionally-accredited institution of higher education accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The College offers Master of Science degrees in Personal Financial Planning and Financial Analysis, several proprietary professional designations, and the CFP® Certification Professional Education Program.
Higher Learning Commission - Statement of Accreditation Status
The College for Financial Planning, Inc., is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The College for Financial Planning was reaffirmed for another 10 year cycle of accreditation in 2019-2020, and the College completed its HLC Mid-Cycle Evaluation in 2024. The next HLC Comprehensive Evaluation is scheduled to take place in 2029-2030, when the College will seek reaffirmation of accreditation for another 10-year cycle. See HLC Accreditation Status for CFFP.
The College for Financial Planning has been authorized by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) to offer instruction for and to grant the Master of Science Degree in Personal Financial Planning degree.
The Certified Financial Planner™ Certification Professional Education Program is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., and satisfies the educational requirement for CFP® certification.
The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) and numerous states have enacted regulations or legislation dealing with the use of “senior” designations used by financial planning practitioners. The purpose of these rules has been to separate designations that have credible requirements and academic rigor from those that have less stringent or no requirements.
The College for Financial Planning supports these actions on the part of regulators and legislators. We are proud to state that based upon the College for Financial Planning’s status as a regionally-accredited institution of higher education, all designations earned at the College are either approved, exempt, or receive preferential treatment in all the regulations and legislation thus far enacted at the state and national levels (Note: the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist℠ designations may not be used in conjunction with selling insurance products to senior citizens in California.). Regional accreditation is considered the gold standard for higher education accreditation, and the College is proud of such accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The State of Colorado participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), and the College for Financial Planning is an approved SARA institution. The College for Financial Planning is approved to offer distance education courses and programs to students in SARA and non-SARA member states. Please see the NC-SARA website for additional information. The College for Financial Planning has full authorization from the Colorado Department of Higher Education to operate in the state of Colorado. More information can be found here Colorado Dept. of Higher Ed.
The College for Financial Planning is registered with the Maryland Higher Education Commission and is approved to offer online courses. Student complaints should be sent to: Maryland Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, 200 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-528-8662, 888-743-0823.
Kaplan provides CFFP support services in the areas of marketing, technology support, human resources, finance, publishing, and general administration.