Classification: Four-year public college or university; Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Modules Used:

• Module 1: Get a Grip on Your Finances: Smart Spending for Students.
• Module 2: Seek out Financial Aid: Funding Resources and Financial Obligations.

How Used:

• Entrance counseling.
• University seminars.

Program Description: Financial literacy is a high priority at the University of Texas El Paso because it has strong support from the president. USA Funds^® Life Skills^® was introduced to address the issue of growing indebtedness among students. It's currently used in entrance counseling and as the basis of financial-aid presentations in the university seminar.

Financial-aid professionals deliver Module 1: Get a Grip on Your Finances: Smart Spending for Students during entrance counseling for loans to groups ranging from 60 to 70 students. The director of financial aid indicates that the information about borrowing and credit is of great value to students.

Module 2: Seek out Financial Aid: Funding Resources and Financial Obligations is used in university seminar presentations for freshmen. Financial-aid professionals deliver the presentations to groups of 20-25 students and provide students with copies of the student skills book for this module.

Staffing Requirements: The financial-aid staff delivers Module 1 for entrance counseling and Module 2 for university seminar presentations.

Recommendations: Contacting a USA Funds representative should be the first step when considering USA Funds Life Skills. The program is well written and easy to follow, but the director of financial aid recommends attending a training workshop. Aligning the program with a campus-wide financial-literacy agenda can make a huge difference in how it's received, especially when the president is one of the major advocates.

Campus Contact:
Raul Lerma, Director of Student Financial Aid
Phone: (915) 747-7387
E-mail: rlerma@utep.edu