Classification: Private career school.

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.
• Module 3: Work Hard but Smart: How to Be Successful in School and Graduate on Time.
• Module 4: Take Control of Your Future: Finishing School and Repaying Your Loans.
• Module 5: Now That You Are About to Graduate: Taking Control of Your Life.

How Used:

• Orientation course.
• Exit interview.

Program Description: The Scottsdale Culinary Institute has demonstrated its commitment to financial literacy and debt management. The chair of the culinary-arts department at the institute suggests that students do not have the financial information and skills they need when they arrive on campus. The campus turned to USA Funds^® for the program resources and training needed to provide this information to its students.

Under the leadership of the academic department chair, a curriculum was developed for a three-credit course, Introduction to the Culinary Arts. Faculty were selected and trained as course facilitators, with staff from financial aid and career services invited to conduct special class sessions. USA Funds Life Skills® Modules 1-5 are integrated into an orientation course required of all entering students. Students receive copies of the five student skills books, which are used in lieu of a textbook. Students are tested on the information from their readings and homework assignments. Up to five sections of the class are offered each term, with 50-60 students per section.

During the final six weeks of enrollment, a debt-management-staff member uses Module 4: Take Control of Your Future: Finishing School and Repaying Your Loans to support the exit-interview process.

Staffing Requirements: The faculty facilitates Modules 1-5 in the orientation course, and a debt-management-staff member delivers Module 4 during the exit interview.

Recommendations: According to the chair of the culinary-arts department, the quality of the materials and the presentation of the materials by USA Funds representatives are exceptional. She recommends working closely with the USA Funds representatives who provide one-on-one support to the campus, as well as training for the staff. The introductory orientation course is an ideal slot for initiating financial-literacy training because the enthusiasm is so high at the beginning of the educational journey.

Campus Contact:
Mary Mules, Culinary Department Chair
Phone: (480) 425-3029
E-mail: mary.mules@scichefs.com