Where did you learn to manage your money? Did you take a class, learn from friends or family, or just figure it out by trial and error? How financially capable do you think you are? Financial capability is being able to use your knowledge to make financial decisions that improve your financial well-being.
Unfortunately, college students have not proven to be very financially capable. According to a study conducted by EverFi, college students were only able to correctly answer two out of six financial questions. College students are taking on more financial responsibilities but may lacked the knowledge and skills needed to make decisions about managing student loans, credit cards and other financial responsibilities.
What EverFi’s study doesn’t address is how college students develop their financial capability throughout college. With every new experience there are opportunities to gain knowledge and develop skills. A free resource that is available for all SDSU students is CashCourse (www.cashcourse.org), an on-line money management program. There are short quizzes to help you review information about spending, saving, and budgeting. Short courses are available that provide more in depth information about finding money for college, avoiding money scams, and using credit cards. There are also downloadable worksheets for you to develop financial goals, saving plans and budgets.
Using the resources available through CashCourse can help you to improve your financial capability throughout college. If improving your financial capability isn’t a good enough incentive to use the resource, then how about a $50 gift card to the SDSU Bookstore? To reward you for taking the initiative to increase your financial knowledge and skills, every time you complete assignments on CashCourse your name is entered into a drawing for a gift card. All you have to do is complete the free registration on the website and complete assignments that have been set up specifically for students.
The best way to increase your financial capability is to learn more about managing your personal finances. The more you know, the better decisions you will make. For questions about using CashCourse or for free financial counseling or advice contact me at [email protected]
