May 6, 2008

Purdue enrollment management, alumni association work to instill good spending habits in students

Developed by the National Endowment for Financial Education, Cash Course serves as a way universities can help college students and recent graduates cultivate positive money management habits that will last a lifetime, said Joyce Hall, Division of Financial Aid executive director.

"College students have a lot on their minds when it comes to dealing with financial matters, including student loans, books, study abroad programs and credit cards," Hall said. "Money management skills and access to personal financial planning resources will give students and recent graduates a head start on establishing a budget and spending plan."

The turnkey program allows universities to set up branded sites that offer information to assist with financial literacy.

The Purdue Cash Course site is at https://www.cashcourse.org/Purdue . Currently, the Office of Admissions, Division of Financial Aid and Purdue Alumni Association Web sites link to the Cash Course site.

At the site, tips and information are broken down into four categories: Financial Basics, Paying for College, College Life and World of Work. Within those groups, students can learn about protecting their credit, preventing identity theft, understanding financial aid, paying for technology and financing student activities.

The site also offers information about work opportunities, applying for jobs, assessing job offers, and understanding insurance and taxes, all of which are especially important as students enter the job market following graduation, said Nicki Reas, chief marketing officer for the Purdue Alumni Association.

"Graduation can be a thrilling, yet overwhelming, time for students," Reas said. "Cash Course allows us to offer information to students and alumni in an easy-to-understand and informative way. Purdue takes pride in getting students ready for world postgraduation, and financial management skills are now more important than ever."

The National Endowment for Financial Education is an independent, nonprofit foundation committed to educating Americans on a broad range of financial topics and empowering them to make positive and sound decisions to reach their financial goals. For more than 30 years, the foundation has been providing funding, logistical support and personal finance expertise to develop materials and programs on financial literacy.

A link to the Purdue Cash Course site is available to any Purdue West Lafayette department or unit that would like to provide the resource on its Web site. For information, contact Cathy Heinz, associate director of Office of Admissions, at heinzc@purdue.edu .

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Sources: Joyce Hall, (765) 494-5090, jjhall@purdue.edu

Nicki Reas, (765) 496-6193, nreas@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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