In the News

Financial Smarts Icon

Financial Advising as a Tool for Student Success and Educational Equity

University of Maryland Baltimore County A Cross-Institutional Collaborative Effort to Increase Financial Literacy and Resilience in First-Year Students Colleen Lindbeck, Yvette Mozie-Ross, and Laila M. Shishineh

 

Inside College Financial Aid

I Hate Politics Podcast
BY SUNIL DASGUPTA

UMBC’s Director of Financial Aid Andrea Cipolla discusses the logistics of submitting your FAFSA, and breaks down the primary instrument colleges use to determine financial aid, and about the consequences of the college financing system we have created. The session starts at 15 minutes and 22 seconds.

 

Grit and FinancialSmarts

Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations – FEBRUARY 2020
BY TRISHA WELLS AND HANNAH SADOLLAH

In 2018, the average credit card balance for college students was $1,183 (Sallie Mae).  Statistics similar to this convinced UMBC administrators that we needed to enhance financial literacy skill-building opportunities.  To accomplish this goal, a staff volunteers worked together to create FinancialSmarts and grew it into a thriving program. In this presentation, we share how UMBC got to our current state, the programs which make up FinancialSmarts, and our future goals.

 

UMBC graduation. A graduate smiles and waves.

Ramping Up Financial Literacy

Business Officer – DECEMBER 2019
BY YVETTE MOZIE-ROSS AND TRISHA WELLS
Once a month, the Financial Literacy and Education Committee (FLEC) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) convenes to discuss the best ways to help our more than 13,000 students manage money. One of the unique aspects of this committee is that participation isn’t mandated. Some of us work in financial aid, some in enrollment management, and others in student business services. We’ve come together organically and meet voluntarily as colleagues who all have an interest in helping students make informed and effective financial decisions.

Financial Education for Higher Education 

Everfi – SEPTEMBER 2019
BY EVERFI

Discover the impact of bringing financial education to students of every demographic in higher education. FinancialSmarts partners with EVERFI to achieve the goal of providing financial education programs to college students.