University of Hawaii at Hilo: Hilo, Hawaii

Classification: Four-year public college or university.

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: Freshman seminar.

Program Description: USA Funds® Life Skills® is used to advance financial literacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo through the freshman seminar in which all entering students are encouraged to enroll during their first term. The program is integrated into the money-management presentation that the director of financial aid delivers to the different sections of the class. Using Module 1: Get a Grip on Your Finances: Smart Spending for Students, he does a post-graduation "reality check" with the students by showing them where their money goes and why it's possible that they will have no money left at the end of the month. He shows them that the decisions they make today will affect their financial lives tomorrow. This is an opportunity for the director to help students curb their borrowing in favor of participating in the work-study program.

In addition, instructors receive copies of Modules 2-5 to integrate in their sessions, as they deem appropriate.

Staffing Requirements: The director of financial aid facilitates Module 1 in the freshman-seminar sessions. Individual instructors use information from Modules 2-5 to support their course objectives.

Recommendations: The director of financial aid advises campuses to find a way to implement USA Funds Life Skills, whether through a required freshman class or a presentation in the residence halls. The modules are so flexible that they allow facilitators the opportunity to add their own plans. The bottom line is that the program provides important information that needs to be delivered. Student financial literacy cannot be ignored if the campus is serious about student success.

Campus Contact:
Jeff Scofield, Director of Financial Aid
Phone: (808) 974-7323
E-mail: jscofiel@hawaii.edu