Classification: Four-year private college or university.

Modules Used:

• Module 1: Get a Grip on Your Finances: Smart Spending for Students.
• Module 3: Work Hard but Smart: How to Be Successful in School and Graduate on Time.

How Used:

• Freshman-orientation course.
• Greek life.

Program Description: In spring 2003, the financial-aid staff invited 15 colleagues from other campus offices to join them for a USA Funds^® Life Skills^® training workshop. Representatives from the offices of admissions, student life, registrar, minority affairs and athletics participated in the session conducted by USA Funds debt-management consultants. Nearly all the participants agreed that their most-pressing concern for students was financial — managing debt. Recognizing this key concern, the representatives examined how their offices might use USA Funds Life Skills to promote financial literacy throughout the campus.

Among the many opportunities for outreach to students, two were identified as targets for implementation of USA Funds Life Skills. The two programs include a freshman-orientation course and Greek-life activities.

Module 1: Get a Grip on Your Finances: Smart Spending for Students is used in the freshman-orientation course, College 101. Student-affairs professionals teach the course. USA Funds consultants came to campus and trained the instructors. Although the course is not required of students, approximately 300--about half of BWC's freshmen--enroll in the course. The interactive game and the needs-versus-wants activity have received high marks from the students. The first module was such a success that Module 3: Work Hard But Smart: How to Be Successful in School and Graduate on Time is being added to the course.

Topics from Module 1 are used in special programs designed primarily to enhance the quality of Greek life on campus. These programs also serve to satisfy individual fraternity and sorority chapter requirements.

Staffing Requirements: Student-affairs professionals deliver Modules 1 and 3 in the freshman-orientation classes and provide special money-management programs for Greek organizations.

Recommendations: The assistant director of financial aid championed USA Funds Life Skills while it was still in the development stage. She offers the following insights for putting the program on the radar screens of campus decision makers:

• The program needs a champion; it won't take off by itself!
• The champion must have support and a circle of influence.
• The champion is one who really wants to make the program work, someone who is committed to giving the time and energy required to get the program seen and heard around campus.
• Outreach must be a key consideration and involve influential campus constituents from the ground up.
• If the program is going to be successful, it must make its way to a variety of people with a variety of interests.
• Invite the campus doers to figure out how to make the program work on campus, particularly in their own areas of responsibility.
• Develop strategies that render results and evaluate them regularly.
• Don’t hesitate to change the game plan as you go.
• Changes don't happen overnight. Be patient. The program will work.

Campus Contact:
Cheryl Willard, Assistant Director of Financial Aid
Phone: (440) 826-8042
E-mail: cwillard@bw.edu