Financial Awareness and Consumer Training for Students

Did You Know

Did you know that:

• 84% of college students have credit cards?
• 62% of final year students have 4 cards or more?
• Many students are accumulating debt at a record pace—final year students carry an average of $4,100.00 in credit card debt alone?
  
  

With credit more available than ever, students need a financial education in order to make informed personal finance decisions and to use credit wisely. That's why HESC has created the Financial Awareness and Consumer Training for Students (FACTS) program.

FACTS will help College Administrators and High School Counselors with their efforts to increase student awareness of the dangers of accumulating too much debt and of the benefits of saving more of the money they do have. FACTS will give students a basic understanding of finance and credit. It may even help to reduce a school's loan default rate.

The FACTS Program

FACTS is a financial literacy curriculum for students. It is presented as modules, each targeted toward a different age level or concentration. The presentations are rich in content yet easy to understand. Created using straightforward language, they cover practical topics such as:

• How to Manage Credit Cards
• The Use of Credit vs. Debit Cards
• Spending Plans
• Personal Financial Management Skills
• Avoiding Identity Theft
  
  

Customized To Your Needs

The downloadable FACTS modules are available to you at any time.

FACTS Modules
Module Title	Target Audience
Module 1: Smart Start	Younger, perhaps first time college students
Module 2: Understanding Credit	Older or graduate students
Module 3: Avoiding Identity Theft	All students
Module 4: Money Wise ... Your Financial 411	High school students

Once downloaded, the modules can be delivered when you want, where you want. You decide on the best venue for your students, i.e., at workshops, assemblies, orientations, entrance or exit counseling sessions, and/or as part of a residential life program. You decide if you'd like to deliver the presentations yourself or ask your HESC representative to work with you. If you decide to conduct your own presentations, each module incorporates detailed speaker notes to aid you and your staff.

Additional Resources to Call Upon When Helping Students Manage Their Finances
Mapping Your Future Mapping Your Future's Financial Fitness Tools link you to a wealth of financial literacy resources.

We’re Here to Support You

HESC is happy to support you as you support your students. HESC trainers are ready to present FACTS at your high school or college campus. For more information on this financial literacy effort, call Pam Jerome at 518-402-3521 or e-mail FACTS@hesc.org and ask for the FACTS. Our trainers will be happy to help!

Give your students the FACTS. Help them build a better financial future.