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The School of Financial Planning Law sets the bar as a leader in fiduciary-services education in South Africa.

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.