The Government of the Student Body wants you to be more financially aware.

Maggie Luttrell, senior in history and vice president of GSB, has recently proposed an online, one-credit financial aid literacy course to educate students on the workings of the financial world.

The course discussion is still in the very infant stages and ideas are being tossed around as to whether it would be a requirement or just “highly suggested.”

“My idea was an online, one-credit course covering basic financial topics, based on students’ right to know about financial aid,” Luttrell said. “It can cover anything from credit card debt to the right interest rate, how to pay off interest rates with different payment options and other kinds of debt a student could get into.”

Luttrell said the life skills to be taught in this class are vital to staying at Iowa State.

Ryan Kennedy, senior in accounting and GSB director of academic affairs, agreed this would be a beneficial class to students.

“It’s very important for students to be aware of ways they can get financial aid,” Kennedy said. “We need to focus on helping students so they can address the problem better.”

The course would be similar to the human development and family studies 283 class, entitled “personal and family finance”.

Luttrell and Kennedy said this class is already quite popular with students, fulfilling a recently expanded class size.

“HD FS 283 teaches you life skills … like I already know what retirement plan I will have, it helps students to not get in trouble,” Luttrell said.

Luttrell wonders why student debt is a problem at Iowa State. She said Iowa State has the resources for students but thinks that many students don’t utilize these resources. By creating a required financial aid class, it can help students learn life skills they need to succeed before they graduate.

Jeanna Hennick, graduate assistant in the human development and family studies, has been working with GSB and faculty members to get the course developed further.

“[The course] just gives [students] more awareness of basic financial health, their decisions really impact their financial future. A lot of students don’t realize that. Basic financial literacy can help make students as well rounded as possible,” Hennick said.

There is still a lot of planning that needs to be completed before this course is ready for students. Luttrell and GSB members hope to have the course completely green lighted and available to students by next fall.

“It has been brought up to the faculty senate, Dr. Thomas Hill and President Geoffroy,” Luttrell said. “Everyone is very supportive — we just need to sit down and figure out the components to propose to faculty senate.”