Certified Scholarship Consultant™
Become a Certified Scholarship Consultant (CSC)™
Build the knowledge, advising frameworks, and implementation systems needed to help students navigate scholarship research, competitive essay writing, and financial aid planning.
Is the CSC designation right for you?
The program is professional development for people who already support students, families, or college-access programs and want a stronger implementation framework.
School counselors and postsecondary transition staff
College access and success advisors
Nonprofit college-access staff and program managers
Educational consultants and independent advisors
District, school, and community-based teams
Professionals supporting scholarships, financial aid, or student writing
What CSC professionals are prepared to do
The credential focuses on repeatable advising practices and implementation—not simply exposure to information.
Strengthen Financial Aid Culture
Assess organizational strengths and gaps, then build practical strategies for family engagement, scholarship celebration, FAFSA-related support, and progress tracking.
Guide Good-Fit Scholarship Research
Help students identify their scholarship brand, evaluate opportunities, build Scholarship Universe maps, and create individualized action plans.
Coach Competitive Essays
Interpret prompts, apply a structured editing process, and give specific feedback while preserving each student’s authentic voice.
Build Repeatable Systems
Move beyond one-time workshops by establishing shared tools, workflows, and team practices that can be implemented across a caseload or organization.
Engage Families and Partners
Activate the people around students so scholarship and financial aid milestones do not depend on one advisor or one event.
Turn Learning Into Action
Complete implementation products and a Financial Aid Culture workplan connected directly to your school, program, or consulting practice.
A 30-hour applied curriculum
Each course combines practical instruction with required application work so participants leave with tools they can use immediately.
Creating Healthier Financial Aid Cultures
- Assess financial aid culture and system-level support gaps
- Develop family-engagement and scholarship-celebration strategies
- Build progress-tracking and sustainable implementation practices
- Complete a Financial Aid Culture workplan
Navigating the Scholarship Research Maze
- Identify student Scholarship Brands
- Apply the Scholarship Research Pyramid and Good-Fit process
- Create Major Matrices and Scholarship Universe maps
- Design individualized scholarship action plans
The Science of Competitive Essay Writing
- Interpret prompts and reviewer expectations
- Apply a three-phase essay editing process
- Improve focus, organization, clarity, and technical quality
- Create a repeatable essay-support process
Your path to the CSC designation
The designation recognizes successful completion of the entire professional learning pathway.
Select a Training Format
Choose a Virtual Cohort, On-Site Partner Cohort, or SASI.
Complete Live Learning
Attend and participate in at least 80% of required live instruction.
Complete Applied Work
Submit every required assignment and implementation product.
Submit Your Workplan
Complete the Financial Aid Culture workplan before the exam is released.
Pass the Exam
Earn at least 80% on the comprehensive examination.
Ways to complete the training
Every option leads to the same CSC completion standards while giving individuals and organizations different ways to access the learning.
Virtual Cohort
Join a scheduled TSA cohort with live online instruction, implementation support, verified assignments, and the comprehensive exam.
- Best for individual counselors, advisors, and consultants
- Participate from anywhere
- Scheduled peer cohort experience
On-Site Partner Cohort
Bring the CSC pathway to your school, district, nonprofit, or community organization for a dedicated group of five or more professionals.
- Dedicated delivery for your organization
- Schedule aligned to your team calendar
- Instructor Travel and lodging quoted separately
Scholarship Academy Summer Institute
SASI is the intensive in-person CSC training experience in Atlanta, followed by the remaining implementation and assessment requirements.
- Two-day in-person institute
- Hands-on peer learning and networking
- Current dates, seats, and pricing on the event page
CSC training pricing
The designation has consistent value across delivery formats, while dedicated on-site delivery includes an organizational cohort premium.
Virtual Cohort
- $1,500 each for two or more participants
- Full 30-hour CSC pathway
- Materials, assignments, exam, and designation included
On-Site Partner Cohort
- $1,500 per additional participant
- Dedicated organizational cohort
- Trainer travel and lodging quoted separately
Scholarship Academy Summer Insititue
- Intensive in-person Atlanta experience
- Group pricing shown on the event page
- Follow-up implementation and exam requirements
Request more information
Use the individual form for upcoming open cohorts. Use the organization form to discuss a dedicated cohort for five or more staff members.
Individual Cohort Interest
Receive information about the next Virtual Cohort, SASI, and open-enrollment opportunities.
Bring CSC Training to Your Organization
Request a proposal for a dedicated cohort of five or more participants.
Successful completion of the Certified Scholarship Consultant™ program qualifies participants for 3.0 Continuing Education Units through Clayton State University’s Center for Continuing and Professional Education. The Certified Scholarship Consultant™ designation is awarded by The Scholarship Academy after all instruction, assignments, implementation requirements, and the comprehensive examination are completed.
Continuing Education Units document completion of structured noncredit professional learning and are not academic degree credit. Acceptance for licensure, employment, or another external requirement remains subject to the receiving organization’s policies.