Enrollment and Fees

The Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO) program is administered by GFOA of Louisiana. To enroll, a candidate must be a member of GFOA of Louisiana and currently employed full-time by a government agency. At time of certification, the candidate should have three complete calendar years as a member.

Candidacy is formally established upon receipt of a completed official application form and payment of either the application fee of $95 or an enrollment fee of $75 each for any of the five subject area tests listed.

Documentation is required for applicants applying for certification. This includes, for example:

• Copy of degree(s)
• Letter stating supervisory experience certified by employer(s)
• CPA certificate number
• Other pertinent documentation

A current resume must also accompany the official application form.

Approval of certification applications are subject to review by the officers and board of directors of GFOA of Louisiana. GFOA reserves the right to review, clarify, and revise the point system as deemed necessary.

Individuals who already meet the minimum 300-point standard without needing to take an exam should complete the official APPLICATION FORM and mail it, along with accompanying fee, documentation, and resume to:

GFOA OF LOUISIANA
Attention: Certification Committee
P.O. Box 1029
Gonzales, LA 70707-1029

Certification Renewal

To apply for certification renewal, an applicant must submit documentation relating to the 30 hours of continuing education, to the GFOA of Louisiana not later than January 31 of the following year.  The GFOA Coordinator will mail a request for this information to each CGFO by December 1.

Fees

There are two options with regard to fees:

If the applicant believes he/she already has the minimum 300 points standard under the certification point system without needing to take an exam, the individual should complete the official APPLICATION FORM, and submit it to GFOA, along with a fee of $95, all appropriate documentation, and resume.

If the applicant does NOT meet the 300 points standard at present, the individual is required initially to pay only for those exams that are needed to accumulate 300 points. The fee for each examination is $75. To apply for an exam or exams, the individual should complete the EXAM APPLICATION FORM. Upon completion of the exam(s) and attainment of 300 points, the applicant will be asked to remit $95 to cover the certification fee.

The aforementioned fees do not include the cost of all supplementary textbooks or other materials which, as stated previously, may be obtained from GFOA of the United States and Canada.

The fees do include:

• The study guide, including study questions and recommended readings
• A glossary of terms and definitions
• Admission to the examination(s); and
• Certification of successful completion of the study program in that subject