Maryville College financial literacy grant brings nationally recognized speaker to campus April 11
March 27, 2024
A well-rounded high school education covers the basics, and parental guidance can use the mathematics skills taught in public institutions to help young people understand basic financial concepts before they reach adulthood.
But solid comprehension isn’t always achieved by age 18. Thanks to a grant from the National Foundation for Financial Education (NEFE), however, Maryville College has built a financial literacy curriculum into its courseload to better serve MC students whose financial wellness needs a boost. To celebrate the successful introduction of those initiatives, the College will host Eric Smith, a financial literacy coach whose career has targeted college students, to speak at a public event on April 11.
“Though a portion of our students come in with decent backgrounds as far as financial knowledge, the majority are not familiar with financial terminology, much less financial calculations,” said Angela DeLozier, senior lecturer in mathematics at Maryville College and the faculty member who has spearheaded financial education efforts funded by the NEFE grant. “For example, in class today, I only had one or two students who had any idea at all about what it means to itemize when filing income taxes. Most certainly did not realize that you do not simply look at the tax bracket your income puts you in and then calculate that percentage of the salary. Other topics that quickly come to mind are credit cards — why it can actually be good to have them if you use them correctly — and how to build credit scores.”
And, according to Dr. Niklas Trzaskowski — director of the Maryville College Career Center, which has helped with the College’s financial literacy efforts — increased financial knowledge, both personally and as it applies to a broader understanding of economics, can impact career decisions. For example: The Career Center, as part of the career development course Maryville College Works 400, utilizes the online financial education resource specifically designed for higher education students, CashCourse — access to which was made possible by the NEFE grant.
“The financial education efforts support the career readiness of our students,” Trzaskowski said. “In addition, the Career Center hosts a ton of different events throughout the academic year, and working with Angela to bring Eric to campus helps highlight a very practical aspect of the learning that takes place on our college campus.”
The NEFE grant was part of a $2 million pledge to the Colorado Community College System and the Appalachian College Association (ACA), the latter of which is a consortium of 34 private four-year liberal arts colleges in the Appalachian region, including MC. The College was selected along with six other ACA schools to receive more than $100,000 over the span of two academic years in order to support curriculum development around financial literacy.
Such instruction wasn’t new for DeLozier: She had previously incorporated the topic into the course MTH110: Quantitative Literacy, during which students learn about budgeting and healthy financial habits. A December 2022 trip to Denver for the annual NEFE conference led to a strategic plan to spend half of the money during the 2023-24 academic year, and half in 2024-25.
“Although we previously taught a financial literacy unit, that was greatly expanded this academic year,” DeLozier said. “We have four units in MTH110, and not only is one of those focused on financial literacy, but students work independently on it through CashCourse. Additionally, we incorporate financial examples in our other three MTH110 units.”
And more work is being done. Dr. Sarah Clinton, associate professor of finance, will receive a stipend from the NEFE grant to develop a personal finance course beginning in 2024-25, and active discussions have taken place around the development of a finance minor, according to DeLozier. In addition, the Career Center, through the senior year career development course taught by Career and Internship Coach Leah Hadder, continues that focus on financial literacy, Trzaskowski said.
At the April 11 event, Smith will be joined by alumnus Hassan Thomas ’20, who hosts the weekly podcast “FYI FLI — For Your Information Financial Literacy and Investing” and is a certified financial education instructor who focuses on college athletes and youth finance.
Smith is the founder of The EKS Group, LLC, and creator of the Financial Literacy Coach and The Money Game literacy programs. A nationally acclaimed financial literacy speaker, he was the first-ever literacy speaker listed on the NCAA’s national speaker registry and has shared his financial education advice with more than 230,000 college students since 2011.
“He’ll promote financial wellness in a very entertaining way, and it should be good for anyone,” DeLozier said. “Most of our MC students have taken MTH110, and I think much of what Eric discusses will remind them of lessons learned, and hopefully inspire them to be diligent about financial planning and well-being. There will be free T-shirts and free food, and afterward, area financial representatives will be available for networking.”
“The event is really a celebration of the efforts that Angela and others have undertaken thus far; an opportunity to learn more from two speakers who are passionate about the subject of financial education; and an opportunity to preview some of the future financial education efforts,” Trzaskowski added. “The networking hour after the event allows everyone to have informal conversations with both the speaker and the financial representatives who are invited. Students, and members of the public, should not be intimidated by the subject matter, because they’ll enjoy learning about it in a relaxed and fun way.
“This is really another way for Maryville College to showcase its ‘study everything, so that you are prepared for anything’ approach,” Trzaskowski continued. “It is always great for members of the community to see what kinds of things students in their own backyard are learning about, and to see the variety of ways that MC prepares students for their life after college.”
“An Evening with Eric Smith — Financial Literacy Coach” will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in the Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall of the Clayton Center for the Arts. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit maryvillecollege.edu/fined.