Financial literacy course coming to ISU newcomers in spring
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August 23, 2017
The Cyclone CashCourse is coming to Iowa State in the 2018 spring semester for any student in their first academic year.
Iowa’s Board of Regents requested that Iowa State, University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa each begin a financial literacy training program for students. Iowa State has taken up the request.
The course should lay a foundation of financial knowledge for students to build on.
“The ultimate goal is to increase students’ knowledge of financial matters, which will hopefully reduce their student loan borrowing,” said Jennifer Schroeder, program coordinator.
The program will be four to six weeks long and consist of four content modules, with a pre-test and a post-test. However, there won’t be any a grade given to students for this class.
“There will be analysis of the pre- and post- tests to see if students made an improvement over the course,” Schroeder said.
The content modules will cover budgeting, financial decisions, credit and financial aid.
Student’s performance on individual quizzes and tests within the course will not effect their results. Student’s can progress through the course at any pace within the period.
Iowa State ran a pilot of this program in the fall of 2016 and, after feedback from students, finalized the program that will begin this spring.
Northern Iowa and Iowa’s programs will contain the same content as ISU’s but are each beginning this fall. Schroeder said Iowa State’s decision to wait until spring was a conscious one.
“We chose the spring so that the new students aren’t overwhelmed and can’t give it the attention it deserves,” Schroeder said.
The course will occur each spring semester for Iowa State newcomers in the future.
Cyclone CashCourse is going to be within Canvas, the learning management system replacing Blackboard Learn in the spring, for all students required to take it.
Schroeder said this was a decision that was made after input from students.
Eliminating as much student debt as they can is what Schroeder hopes can come from the course after successful implementation.
“I want students to feel empowered to take charge of their money, comfortable asking questions and to take a hard look at their own financials,” Schroeder said.
