Certified College Planning Specialist (CCPS)

A certified college planning specialist (CCPS) is a financial professional who helps families prepare for the costs of college. These experts are able to help fill out financial aid forms and answer questions about 529 savings plans. Here’s how professionals get the designation and what it does.

Consider working with a financial advisor as you look for ways to pay for college or university.

Certified College Planning Specialist Defined

The CCPS is a designation available to people who are already working as licensed financial professionals. These include Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), registered investment advisors and similar designations. People with equivalent education and experience in lieu of a license may also be eligible.

Advisors who get a CCPS are experts in helping to pay for college. While they can help with paperwork and minutiae, they can also discuss student loans, tapping home equity to pay for college and more.

In addition, CCPS certificates help the holder provide advice about other college funding issues. These include tax questions, insurance strategies, tuition discounts and strategies for managing cash flow to pay for college.

The CCPS certificate is administered by the National Institute of Certified College Planners (NICCP). This organization was founded in 2002.

CCPS Certification Requirements

Professionals must have a financial license of some sort as a prerequisite to the CCPS designation. As a result, candidates could include certified public accountants, enrolled agents or almost any insurance, securities and accounting licenses or certifications. In the absence of a license, the NICCP may also accept a combination of education and experience.

Assuming a candidate has the appropriate pre-existing credentials, the next step is to sign up for the required educational component. This consists of three self-study modules, three exam cram audio courses and three tests.

Each module contains about 150 pages of materials. The course material can be viewed online or downloaded.

CCPS Course Load

A college professor lecturing to students.

In the first module, Paying for College, students get a financial aid overview and introduction to student resources including grants and scholarships. They also learn about work-study programs, college loans and federal and institution-specific financial aid initiatives. In the second module, Saving for College, students study Section 529 plans, Coverdell education savings accounts and UGMA/UTMA trusts. They’ll also look into using Roth and traditional IRAs, savings bonds and life insurance to pay for college. Mutual funds and real estate are among other financial planning considerations covered in this module.

The third module, Advanced College Funding Strategies, explores academic-based financial assistance, Hope Scholarships and Lifetime Learning credits. Tax planning for parents and children and ways to coordinate investment contributions and withdrawals also get covered. Finally, the module looks at simultaneously funding college and retirement, estate planning and special issues for middle- and upper-income families.

CCPS Exam and Costs

After completing each module, students are advised to study the audio exam cram course for that module. After studying the module materials and listening to the audio cram course, students can take that module’s test. The test requires a 70% passing grade.

Each module consumes about 18 to 25 hours of study time. And the CCPS program costs $1995, plus $100 per month. After receiving the designation, certificate holders are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education per year.

CCPS Jobs

CCPS holders are financial advisors who help people come with ways to pay for their or their children’s college education. Consequently, they may have advanced financial certifications, such as a Certified Financial Planner. Or they may have entry-level certifications or licenses in a related field, such as insurance.

The CCPS certificate doesn’t give its holders any special powers or privileges. It’s an optional designation that advisors active in college financial planning can use to distinguish them from competitors. It also allows advisors to learn more about the specialty. Meanwhile, it can help holders of other certificates meet continuing education requirements.

Comparable Certifications

The CCPS is one of the oldest and best-known college financial planning certifications. However, there are other similar designations available.

The Association of Certified College Funding Specialists offers the Certified College Funding Specialist (CCFS) certification. The same people who might get a CCPS often seek a CCFS as well. It targets Certified Financial Planners, insurance salespeople, stockbrokers and other financial license holders. For $50 a month, all 16 courses become available for you to review. There is no final exam, but a minimum score of 70% is required to pass each course and covers similar material to the CCPS certificate.

The American Institute of Certified College Financial Consultants runs the Certified College Financial Consultants (CCFC) program. It requires studying and testing the same material as the CCFS and CCPS and costs $1,295 for the self-study program or $1,595 for the accelerated course.

When to Work With a College Planning Specialist

Working with a CCPS may be worth considering when college expenses represent a significant portion of your financial goals. These professionals offer targeted guidance that goes beyond general financial advice, especially if you are trying to manage multiple priorities like saving for retirement, repaying debt, or maintaining eligibility for need-based financial aid. Families with complex financial situations such as business ownership, blended households, or nontraditional income may benefit from the CCPS’s familiarity with financial aid formulas and funding strategies.

Parents with children approaching college age often turn to a CCPS when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or CSS Profile. A specialist can explain how assets like 529 plans, brokerage accounts, and real estate may affect aid eligibility and suggest strategies to improve your aid position. A CCPS can also help determine the best order and timing to draw down funds from different accounts, such as coordinating 529 withdrawals with education tax credits or deferring asset liquidation to avoid increasing your expected family contribution (EFC).

For families supporting more than one student or spanning multiple income phases such as nearing retirement or recovering from recent income changes, a CCPS may help develop a multi-year funding plan that balances tax efficiency, liquidity, and long-term financial sustainability. They may also help evaluate trade-offs between student loans, home equity, work-study and institutional discounts or merit aid.

Bottom Line

A client meeting with a certified college planning specialist.

A college advisor who has a CCPS has received specialized training in how to help families pay for higher education. CCPS holders can assist parents and students in exploring the various ways to manage and finance tuition costs. The CCPS focuses on financial planning for education. As a result, many who seek the CCPS already have broader, more advanced and more exclusive financial credentials. So it may make sense to find an advisor who also has a CFP or similar designation.

College Planning Tips

If you’re still trying to figure out how to pay for college, you may consider speaking with a certified college planning specialist or another financial advisor. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Is college worth it? That question varies by person, but SmartAsset’s student loan calculator and college finance guide can help you weigh the benefits vs. the costs.