Money-Saving Certification Opportunities Available for HR Students

Many opportunities are available for students to save money when it comes to preparing for and taking the SHRM certification exam, ranging from discounts on exam fees to SHRM student membership reduced rates and financial assistance through grants, scholarships and awards.

If you’re a student, make sure SHRM certification is on your radar. The SHRM-CP certification is designed to assess your HR competency at the operational level. Students who wish to verify, validate, enhance or expand their HR capabilities may be eligible to apply to take the exam.

You don’t have to be a member of SHRM to become SHRM-certified, nor are you required to have completed your HR degree or have previous HR work experience. You do have to have a basic working knowledge of HR practices and principles. Students in qualified HR academic programs may apply to seek the SHRM-CP certification.

Fee Discounts

A student who is actively enrolled in a college or university undergraduate or graduate HR program that is recognized by SHRM as academically aligned with its HR curriculum guidelines, and who otherwise meet SHRM’s eligibility criteria, may apply to take the SHRM-CP certification exam.

As a student, you qualify for a discount on the exam application fee. For nonmembers of SHRM, the student rate is $325. The rate for SHRM student members is $225 (see below).

Once you pass the exam and receive your SHRM-CP certification, you can maintain it through recertification even if you are still a student. Certification holders are required to earn 60 professional development credits (PDCs) within a three-year time frame. PDCs are earned by engaging in activities that relate to the behavioral competencies and HR knowledge areas identified in the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge (SHRM BASK). These activities include attending seminars, webcasts and videoconferences, as well as reading e-books, and providers often offer student rates.

SHRM Student Membership

Becoming a student member of SHRM confers many advantages in addition to reduced fees. As one of more than 330,000 people who belong to SHRM worldwide, you’ll be connected to a community that will support and inspire you. Student membership means you can cultivate your skills and knowledge through access to role models, mentors, subject matter experts, instructors, and a network of people and opportunities ready to help—all while pursuing your degree.

Think about what that access can do for you while you’re studying for the SHRM-CP exam!

Other valuable resources that come with SHRM student membership include:

• Resume templates and interview Q&As to make a great first impression.
• Job search tools to pursue internships, mentorships and various HR positions.
• Compensation data to review current pay and salary ranges.
• SHRM student webcasts, the Career Compass podcast and student-oriented publications that provide news and insights from professionals.
• Discounts on fees related to SHRM certification.
• Ability to apply for SHRM Foundation grants and scholarships (see below).

You are eligible for SHRM student membership if you are enrolled in a degree program and taking at least six credit hours per term, and if your coursework supports an interest in HR management. Acceptable programs include business administration, industrial and organizational psychology, labor relations, and sociology.

Annual dues for SHRM student membership are $49. After you earn your SHRM-CP certification, you may transition to a SHRM professional membership, paying half the current professional member annual rate during your first two years. (After two years, the full professional member rate applies.)

Grants and Scholarships

Recognizing that the practice of HR requires specialized training and support, SHRM’s philanthropic arm, the SHRM Foundation, provides more than $500,000 worth of scholarships and grants every year to future HR leaders seeking financial assistance in their academic and career pursuits.

SHRM student members may apply to the SHRM Foundation for a SHRM Certification Professional Development Grant, which awards one certification exam and access to the online SHRM Learning System to prepare for it.

The online application requires your current transcript and includes questions about your academic experience and need for the grant. Students who lack significant work history will be assessed based on their academic background and the breadth and quality of their HR coursework. Other selection criteria include volunteer activity, the ability to manage adversity, and a letter of reference with insights into your character, accomplishments, work ethic and values.

The application period for this year’s SHRM certification grants starts April 9 and ends June 12, so SHRM student members should mark their calendars (details at the links):

• Awardees of the 2024 Spring grant must take the exam in either the Spring 2024 or Winter 2024-2025 testing windows.
• Awardees of the 2024 Fall grant must take the exam in either the Winter 2024-2025 or Spring 2025 testing windows.

Please note that the grant is not a reimbursement for certification exam fees, Learning System fees, transfer fees or any other associated expenses.

Demetrius Norman is SHRM’s manager, certification services.