The SMSF Association has awarded scholarships to member practitioners looking to achieve specialist accreditation as part of its efforts to build the professionalism of those working in the sector.
Following an application period during July, the professional body stated it had contacted scholarship recipients, who will join a cohort of practitioners working towards their SMSF Specialist Advisor or SMSF Specialist Auditor accreditation.
As part of that group, they will receive dedicated interaction and support during their study and an exclusive networking opportunity at the association’s national conference to further engage with their peers and the scholarship sponsors, ASF Audits and Class.
SMSF Association chief executive Peter Burgess said the commitment of the scholarship recipients to developing specialist knowledge and capabilities was a “positive reflection of the standards we want to see across our sector”.
“Ongoing professional development and accreditation play a vital role in strengthening the SMSF profession,” Burgess stated.
“By supporting more practitioners to develop their expertise and achieve accreditation, we are building a more capable and trusted profession that can deliver better outcomes for SMSF members.”
Sandstone Advisory director Matthew Ross, who was a 2025 scholarship recipient, added: “Participating in the SMSF Specialist Scholarship program has been a rewarding experience both professionally and personally. The course content, combined with access to leading industry experts, has strengthened my technical knowledge and allowed me to deliver greater value to clients.”
Class chief executive Tim Steele said his firm continued to sponsor the scholarship program for its role in developing more SMSF specialists.
“As a long-standing supporter of the SMSF sector, we believe ongoing education and professional development are essential to maintaining trust, professionalism and high-quality outcomes for professionals,” Steele noted.
“We’re proud to continue supporting this initiative alongside ASF Audits as part of our broader commitment to empowering accountants, advisers and auditors with the solutions, expertise and support they need to succeed.”
Jason Spits
SENIOR JOURNALIST
Jason is a senior journalist with Benchmark Media and writes for the selfmanagedsuper website and magazine and smstrusteenews website. He has covered financial services since 1999 and has written about life insurance, superannuation, investment management and financial advice, in both a freelance and in-house capacity, and also did a brief stint as a media manager for an industry association. He has been the editor of trade titles Money Management and Financial Standard, and was most recently senior journalist with life insurance title Riskinfo.
Articles by Jason