CAE Scholarship Application Guide

The NANA Foundation opens its CAE exam-fee scholarship application every January, and this guide, written by Foundation Executive Director Samuel Heathcote, walks applicants through eligibility, the documents the review committee requires, and what happens between submitting an application and hearing back. The scholarship covers the fee for sitting the Certified Association Executive exam, and the Foundation's cohort has grown every year since it launched — 18 scholars in its first year, 21 the following year, 24 the year after that.

The guide covers who's eligible (association staff at any career stage, sponsored by an employer or applying independently), what the review committee reads for in an applicant's statement, and the two documents Heathcote says most rejected applicants are missing: a supervisor letter of support and a specified target testing window. It also explains that NANA does not administer the CAE exam itself — the scholarship covers the fee charged by the credentialing body that runs it, while NANA separately prepares candidates and pre-approves continuing-education credit.

First-time applicants will find a section-by-section walkthrough plus Heathcote's guidance on what makes a statement of purpose stand out.