A Springwood man’s plan to forge a career in financial planning has been given a major boost after he claimed the prestigious University Student of the Year award at the 2020 Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) Awards. 

Anthony White is studying a Bachelor of Applied Commerce (Financial Planning) at TAFE NSW after spending the last 11 years as a Ground Defence Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. 

“I’m ecstatic and very thankful for winning this award,” Mr White said. 

“After leaving the ADF [Australian Defense Force] I saw that many Veterans were receiving injury payouts but were not using their money wisely. Through my own experiences, I then discovered that financial planners were not trained in military superannuation or the intricacies of Veteran affairs. 

“I decided to focus on a job that would fill this niche and hopefully, in turn, support Veterans again. Studying my degree at TAFE NSW meant I could gain practical, real-world skills around financial planning and the support from small class sizes appealed to me. 

“I'm hoping by winning this award I can raise awareness of the need for financial services for veterans, and in doing so, Veterans will get better support for their future.”

Dante De Gori CFP®, CEO of Financial Planning Association of Australia said: “Having served as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force for many years, Anthony is passionate about supporting wounded veterans by helping them manage their financial stress as they enter civilian life.

“I congratulate him for his passion and look forward to welcoming him to our growing CFP® [Certified Financial Planner] professional community once he has completed his studies.”

The FPA Awards recognise financial planners, paraplanners and university students who deliver the highest standards of professional and trusted advice to Australian consumers, as well as those who have gone above and beyond to support their local community. 

To find out more about studying finance at TAFE NSW, phone 13 16 01 or visit www.tafensw.edu.au