UFS becomes one of only three STEP-accredited universities globally
Photo: Pixabay
“The School of Financial Planning Law prides itself on forming relationships
with valuable institutions to the benefit of the students,
the university, and the industry as a whole.”
Financial planning is the profession that identifies the needs and goals of clients, and builds a holistic, lifelong plan to address those needs and to achieve the client’s financial goals. Financial planning deals with all aspects of ensuring that financial matters are well managed on a month-to-month basis, thus, ensuring that clients have sufficient cash flow to meet financial obligations. Financial planning also focuses on long-term planning, to ensure clients have sufficient funds for retirement and have done estate planning, thereby ensuring that the client and their loved ones have financial security. Financial planning also analyses the way businesses are structured and ensure the continuity of business interests within a corporate structure.
The School of Financial Planning Law (SFPL) in the Faculty of Law at the University of the Free State prides itself on its qualities of excellence and integrity in providing holistic financial planning education since 2001. The School’s accredited academic programmes educate financial planners theoretically and practically to meet the unique needs of individual clients. Approximately 1 000 students register annually for the School’s programmes, all in the area of financial planning and financial planning law.
Rising above the rest, the school is not only proud to be the first South African accredited education partner of STEP, but to also be one of the only three universities globally with this accreditation. STEP is an international professional association for practitioners who specialise in family inheritance and succession planning.
“Being one of the only three universities with this accreditation globally, recognises the relevance and academic excellence of the educational programmes offered by the School of Financial Planning Law in an international context,” said Advocate Shirly Hyland, Director of the UFS School of Financial Planning Law.
The accreditation process
Through the efforts of Mrs Henda Steyn, the Programme Director of the Advanced Diploma in Estate and Trust Administration, all study guides, summative and formative assessments in the programme were evaluated by STEP to ensure that the Diploma offers the in-depth knowledge and content to satisfy the specific fiduciary skills needed.
Learning outcomes for the Diploma also had to be mapped and evaluated against the knowledge topics of STEP. Following this process, the qualification was recognised as meeting the requirements and was awarded the highest STEP designation, known as TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner).
Benefits of the accreditation
Advocate Hyland said that the accreditation positions the school among leaders in fiduciary-services education. “Being the only South African accredited education partner of this global professional association, not only sets us as the country’s leaders in the field, but it also puts the school and the university in the international fiduciary-services education realm,” she added.
Through the accreditation, graduates in this field are provided with the opportunity to network with other STEP members for collaboration in international estates and trusts. This will also enable them to better apply international and cross-border principles which will set them apart from the average fiduciary practitioner who is not a STEP member.
CFPL Graduations 2015
CFPL Alumni Dinner 2015
Adv Shirly Hyland appointed as new director