Tougher economic conditions have not stopped applicants from signing up for the FPA's Certified Financial Planning (CFP) program, a designation recognised in 22 countries.
With almost 700 financial planners already registered to begin the course in 2009, enrolments for CFP1-CFP4 assessments were 34 per cent higher than expected, with enrolments for CFP5 up 16 per cent on expectations, a group statement said.
According to FPA chief executive Jo-Anne Bloch, investors will now be able to benefit from having access to more certified financial planner practitioners.
"The benchmark for certification under the program is very high, so investors can trust that a certified financial planner practitioner will have the advanced knowledge and skills required to provide valuable, tailored advice," Bloch said.
Latrobe University and the University of Canberra have also registered their tertiary courses as suitable for entry into the CFP certification program.
"There are now 14 universities that are registered, compared to the nine universities registered in 2006," Bloch said.
The Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) chief executive Richard Klipin said the AFA's Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner (FChFP) program had also received a sound number of enrolment enquiries since the first of four courses was piloted in September last year.
Upon completion of the four FChFP courses and industry experience requirements, the program rewards AFA members with FChFP accreditation, a designation recognised in 12 countries.
