LIBF has launched a new scholarship scheme with The Mortgage Mum to support people from underrepresented groups and help them start a career in mortgage advice.

Through the new exclusive scholarship, LIBF will fully fund three places on its CeMAP scheme for mortgage advisers.

These individuals selected for the scheme will additionally receive mentoring and career support from The Mortgage Mum, supported by Mortgage Advice Bureau, who recently secured an investment into the firm. They will also receive LIBF membership for the duration of their studies.

According to The Mortgage Mum, the scheme is starting small at first but there is the potential for it to grow if successful. It has been designed to help people into the sector who might not have considered a career in mortgage advice or would not otherwise have the opportunity.

The Mortgage Mum, an all-female team of advisers across the UK, was created by Sarah Tucker after qualifying as a mortgage broker in 2015 when her daughter was 18 months old.

She commented: “We are an industry who is passionate about diversity and inclusivity, and yet there are huge barriers to entry for many people and communities across the UK, largely due to the costs involved versus the commitments they have in their lives. Some people simply cannot afford to invest in themselves.

“I believe we are overlooking exceptional talent because of this, and limiting the diversity this industry so desperately needs. We know the cost of living is restricting the risks our future entrepreneurs can take, and hopefully this initiative can help to close that gap.

LIBF, part of Walbrook Institute London, provides financial and banking qualifications and its CeMAP programme for mortgage advisers offers diplomas in financial advice, as well as trade and transaction banking qualifications.

Applications for the new scheme are expected to open in January 2026, before the people chosen for the scheme start in the spring.

Director of financial services at LIBF, John Somerville, added: “We were delighted to be approached by The Mortgage Mum about this incredibly exciting scheme.

“We often speak about the advice gap in financial and mortgage advice and the need to attract a wider range of people into the profession so that it’s better representative of the communities we serve. Scholarships like this are just one way that we can make it a reality.”

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