Shepherd University’s major in business administration with a concentration in financial planning was recently approved by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Students who successfully complete the program will have met the prerequisite education requirement that allows them to apply for the CFP certification exam. According to Gordon DeMeritt, chair of the business administration department, Shepherd students could graduate with the degree as early as December 2011.

The program is supported by a group of local professional advisors that make up the Rural Financial Planning Project, which was launched by Rob Hoxton, CFP, of Hoxton Financial in Shepherdstown. The mission of the RFPP is to improve the lives of rural Americans through the promotion of financial literacy and the delivery of financial planning by well-trained and ethical financial planning professionals.

The RFPP will provide tuition assistance through scholarships and professional mentorship.

Monica Lingenfelter, executive vice president of the Shepherd University Foundation, said that this project is a great example of how Shepherd students and faculty can be inspired and supported by an advisory group of alumni and friends.

For more information about this scholarship or to establish a scholarship, program, or faculty excellence award through the Shepherd University Foundation, contact Monica Lingenfelter, Shepherd University Foundation, P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000 or 304-876-5397.