Eight new financial planning education programs, at six institutions, have been registered by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

The new approvals bring the total number of such programs to 292, at 178 colleges and universities nationwide, according to the CFP Board.

"The number of CFP Board-registered programs has tripled since 1997," says CFP Board Executive Vice President Gary Diffendaffer. "There is a growing awareness of the importance of financial planning, both as a component of our day-to-day lives and as a career choice."

The new programs are being offered by Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C.; Kaplan College in Denver; Lander University in Greenwood, S.C.; Murray State University in Murray, Ky.; Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich, and the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The programs were registered by the CFP Board's Board of Examiners.