February is Financial Aid Awareness month! The NGA Center for Best Practices brief, Complete to Compete: Improving Postsecondary Attainment Among Adults, states that many adults confront difficulties when trying to meet the costs associated with postsecondary education as they plan to attend college. The lack of financial assistance, both academic (e.g., tuition assistance) and nonacademic (e.g., child care), for working adults, particularly those attending postsecondary institutions on a part-time or episodic basis, can pose a significant barrier to degree or certificate attainment. We know that college affordability is a critical issue for students’ success in college, and we must find ways to incorporate financial literacy and financial planning for college in programs to support students’ aspirations.
Join the Financial Literacy and Postsecondary Completion groups from February 3- 14 for a special discussion in which adult education program managers, counselors, and teachers from a range of adult education programs will share their strategies and techniques for incorporating financial literacy and financial planning for college in their programming.
We would love to hear from you if you have or are planning to integrate financial literacy in your program or classroom! Guest experts will detail their experiences and share curriculum examples and resources. Please feel free to ask questions and share your own strategies for incorporating financial literacy into your program. We look forward to hearing from you beginning next Monday!
Discussion Schedule:
- Monday, February 3 – Introductions
- What strategies are you currently implementing to incorporate financial literacy in your adult education programs?
- Tuesday-Thursday, February 4-6 – Integrating Financial Literacy in the Adult Education Curriculum
- Do you use an external curriculum (e.g., FDIC Money Smart) or customized content in your programming?
- Are financial literacy concepts integrated into your regular programming (i.e., math class)?
- Friday-Tuesday, February 7-11 – Incorporating Financial Literacy in Career and Counseling Services
- Do you deliver one-on-one financial coaching?
- Can students access support services and more information related to financial aid and financial literacy with a partner organization?
- Wednesday-Thursday, February 12-13 – Hosting Financial Literacy Workshops for Adult Learners
- Do you offer standalone or series of workshops with special guests from financial literacy organizations or community banks?
- Friday, February 14 – Concluding Remarks
Related Readings:
We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the following financial literacy resources from the LINCS Resource Collection in advance of the discussion:
- FDIC Money Smart – Financial Education Program: http://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/profile-469
- Integration & Innovation: Lessons from Organizations Integrating Asset Building into Social Services: http://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/profile-705
- 40 Money Management Tips Every College Student Should Know: http://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/profile-704
- NEFE Financial Workshop Kits – Family Money Skills: http://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/profile-123