Fresno State presents a new activity, Financial Success Week, Nov. 4-7 to help students better understand how to achieve long-term financial success through workshops on financial services, budgeting, banking, credit cards, student loans, real estate, investing and how to manage personal finances.
The four-day project kicks off with an information fair from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, in the Satellite Student Union where two new resources for students — CashCourse® and Common Cents — will be unveiled and students can visit with area businesses and agencies as well as pick up a workshop schedule for the week.
Financial literacy workshops will be held hourly Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the University Student Union and students can win a $500 U.S Savings Bond for participating in the week’s various events.
A free, online financial education resource designed specifically for university students, CashCourse® equips them with online tools to help make informed financial decisions. It is part of the National Endowment for Financial Education, a private nonprofit national foundation dedicated to “inspiring empowered financial decision making for individuals and families through every stage of life.”
Common Cents is an online money management center that provides students with the information, tools and links for financial education opportunities to support the successful management of their personal and academic finances.
The Financial Success Week project is presented by the Bulldog Card Office, Associated Students, Inc. and Student Affairs.
“Personal financial success is more than balancing a checkbook, comparing prices or getting a job,” said Cher Travis Ellis, coordinator of the Bulldog Card Office. “It requires long-term vision, planning and discipline to use those skills on a day-to-day basis.”
The idea to provide financial literacy education for college students was developed at the request of Dr. Cindy Matson, vice president for Administrative Services. Travis Ellis followed up by conducting a survey at the Dog Days new student orientation in fall 2012.
“Our study showed that all 3,955 survey respondents indicated financial services was important to them with 88.4 percent saying they would benefit from materials and tools about financial services and education opportunities,” Travis Ellis said.
The week’s activities are designed to equip students with the tools and knowledge necessary to avoid financial pitfalls and be able to make wise decisions with their money on a long-term basis, she explained.
At the information fair Monday, students will learn about financial services from local businesses, vendors and campus departments. Information tables will cover topics such as budgeting, investments, banking and consumer affairs.
The keynote address, “The Affordable Healthcare Act,” will be presented at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, in the Satellite Student Union by Diana Valdovinos and Laura Calderon, student coordinators of the CSU Health Information Education Project (HIEP). They will present on the new health care act and how the new law can affect college students.
Other finance-related workshops include a presentation by Barbara Smith, relationship manager with Higher One, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, in the Satellite Student Union. Higher One is a financial services company that serves the higher education industry including Fresno State.
To win a $500 savings bonds, students will receive raffle tickets at each event attended so they can collect several entries. The winners will be notified by telephone on Friday, Nov. 8.
For more information, contact Cher Travis Ellis at 559.278.5608 or chert@csufresno.edu.
University Communications news intern Ashlie Day contributed to this report.
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