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The Educational Investment Fund (EIF) program is a competitive opportunity for students who have a strong academic background in finance and have appropriate academic and career goals that match the course objectives.  Because of the fiduciary responsibility of managing an actual portfolio of securities, the EIF program is challenging but very rewarding for those students who are admitted.

Who should apply?

Normally, students in the EIF program are finance majors in the senior year, or MBA students who have completed the finance core requirement and additional finance electives.  Those who are admitted usually have a strong interest in investment management, brokerage, investment advising and financial planning, or other related financial services careers. Applicants should have a  commitment to understanding financial analysis, portfolio considerations, investment research, and communication/presentation skills required for successful careers in financial services.  Applicants should also be interested in building connections with professionals in the investments field and working in a mentoring relationship with a member of the EIF Board of Directors.

How to apply

Interested students should complete the application form and the requested essays summarizing interest and professional qualifications. Applicants also should submit a current professional resume.  Submission instructions are included on the application form, which is to be submitted electronically. To assure full consideration, the application deadline is the last Friday of March for the Fall semester and the last Friday of October for the Spring semester.  However, certain scholarships that require application or enrollment in EIF may have earlier deadlines.

Each applicant will be contacted by a faculty member from the Department of Finance, Insurance and Law about the status of his or her application before the end of the semester. Final decisions on applications are normally made by the end of the semester, but at times end-of-semester grades are taken into consideration. 

EIF Applicant Form (pdf)

Evaluative Criteria

Student criteria considered for admission to the EIF program include:

• Academic record:  The admission process emphasizes performance in finance courses. Most successful applicants  have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the major and a 3.0 GPA overall.  GPA level alone does not guarantee admission to the program.
• Finance courses completed:  The minimum requirement is a "C or better in FIL 242: Investments and permission of department chair." Most successful applicants have also completed FIL 241: Financial Markets with a grade of C or better.
• Other courses completed: Also considered are completed courses in economics, statistics, and accounting beyond the COB major core requirements.  Also, completion of or concurrent enrollment in MQM 385: Organizational Strategy is considered.
• The applicant’s anticipated graduation date
• Academic and career goals motivating the applicant

For further information contact Dr. Thomas Howe - Department of Finance, Insurance and Law Department or Nancy Baldoni in the College of Business Advisement Center.