Day 1, Session 1 - 12:45-1:45

Student Financial Wellness Survey
Mr. Bryan Ashton, Vice President of Community Investment & Government Affairs at Trellis Company
Mr. Kasey Klepfer, Senior Research Analyst at Trellis Company

Trellis Company conducts this annual, nationwide student financial wellness survey to explore the connection between student finances and academic success. Trellis is a nonprofit company with origins in administering federal student loan programs and has nearly 40 years of experience working with students and higher education institutions to expand opportunities for students.

 

TASFAA Updates
Ms. Delisa Falks, President of TASFAA and Assistant Vice President of Texas A&M Scholarships & Financial Aid

 

The Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (TASFAA) advances student access to higher education by providing professional development for its diverse members, advocating for informed public policies, and facilitating forums on financial aid topics.

 

Wealthy Grad: The Cashflow for College Students Game
Mr. Tony D'Angelo, Collegiate Empowerment Producer and Founding Director of PACFEP

 

As a collegiate financial education professional you have a daunting task: How to provide quality financial education, yet while still making the learning process fun & engaging? Never fear Wealthy Grad is here to help make your job easier! In this dynamic and empowering session you will develop an understanding of how to use game play & simulation to enhance your FinEd impact, discover The Wealthy Grad Approach to creating engaging & sustainable financial education for your students, delve into The Collegiate Empowerment Model: Students Empowering Students About FinLit & FinEd, and download Wealthy Grad tools & resources to bring back to your campus community.

 

 

 

Day 1, Session 2 - 2:00-3:00

The Real World Classroom 
Mr. Brian Bean, President and Founder of Free Market Educational Services

Brian's Real World Classroom teaching model has been designed to help students learn the valuable lessons life has to offer about personal finance and decision making. This teaching model provides a learning experience where students have the opportunity to make some of life’s biggest decisions, with actual consequences, but in the safe environment of a classroom.

Food for Thought
Ms. Laura Scott, Associate Director of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships at Texas Tech University
Ms. Jennifer Wilson, Assistant Director of the Personal Finance Program at Texas Tech University 

The best way to a student’s mind, is through their stomach! Attend this session to learn how to incorporate food with your financial programming, like “eat pie and apply… for your FAFSA!”. This session will provide tips on best practices, campus collaboration, and outcomes related to engaging students through events. You’ll leave this session full of ideas!

Making the Student Loan Debt Letter Work for You
Ms. Patsy Collins, Director of the Student Money Management Center at Sam Houston State University

Student Loan Debt Letters - The dialogue has begun with Senate Bill 887, which requires annual notification of student loan indebtedness beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year. Let's continue this dialogue throughout the year to help reduce student loan debt and improve retention and graduation. This session will discuss collecting student loan data, reviewing specific data elements, establishing a communication plan, and more. Brainstorm with your fellow attendees and then take this information home and use it to implement or improve your own student loan communication plan.

 

 

Day 1, Session 3 - 3:30-4:30

RAISE Texas 
Mr. Woody Widrow, Executive Director of RAISE Texas

RAISE Texas believes that financial education and other asset-building activities leads to increased economic security. Whether it’s IDAs (individual development accounts), children's savings accounts, alternative small dollar consumer loan products, children’s savings accounts, or the EITC (earned income tax credit), building financial success starts with knowledge. Therefore, RAISE Texas works to expand economic opportunity by supporting local, state and federal asset-building policies.

R.O.I. for M.E. at Texas A&M
Mr. Nick Kilmer, Assistant Director of the Money Education Center at Texas A&M University

The Money Education (ME) Center at Texas A&M University was opened to impact the financial literacy and wellness of its 69,000 students. With staff and resources, the ME Center is capable of doing so, but only with a sound, long-term strategy. Its strategic plan, R.O.I. for M.E., is focused on maximizing the Center's return on investment through initiatives and programs related to Research, One-on-One advising, and Instruction. This presentation will explain this strategy and its benefits. 

Savings Account Pilot Program
Ms. Karen Serna, Director of the Student Money Management Office at Austin Community College
Mr. Zachary W. Taylor, Research Assistant at the University of Texas at Austin

One financial crisis can throw a student off course. What if we helped students establish savings accounts and incentivized them to save for such a crisis? This session shares our experience implementing a emergency savings account pilot program at Austin Community College. Students opened savings accounts at a local credit union and were challenged to save $400 or more. Students could claim up to $100 in cash deposits for doing things like completing the FAFSA, meeting with a financial coach, and setting up direct deposit. We’ll share data, hiccups, and best practices for schools interested in piloting a savings program.

 

Day 2, Session 4 - 10:00-11:00

Web Accessible Financial Literacy: Supporting Students with Disabilities in Financial Education
Mr. Zachary W. Taylor, Research Assistant at the University of Texas at Austin

On January 18, 2018, US Congress again re-amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to hold all Title-IV institutions of higher education to Level A and AA web accessibility standards for students with disabilities. This amendment was in response to hundreds of colleges and universities facing discrimination lawsuits over inaccessible web content and educational materials. As a result, this session will review research related to web accessibility and students with disabilities, and then provide best practices for creating accessible web content and financial education materials for students with disabilities.

Buff $mart - Coaching Students how to "Graduate Without Owing a Fortune”
Ms. Meghan Williams, Program Manager of the Student Success Center at West Texas A&M University

At West Texas A&M University student debt and the cost of tuition is a main topic at our university as with many universities.  Buff $mart is a program that was started in the Division of Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success in the fall of 2017 with the main goal of educating students on how to graduate with little to no debt. This session will discuss programs and techniques the Buff $mart Team uses to coach students to “Graduate without owing a Fortune”.

Ronald Reagan Who? The Changing Workplace: Generational Differences
Mr. Mohammad Osman, Peer Mentor for the Student Money Management Center at the University of North Texas
Mr. Paul Goebel, Director of the Student Money Management Center at the University of North Texas

Many people including financial wellness educators and practitioners may wonder do generational differences in the workplace really matter? The short answer is yes, they do matter. One size does not fit all when it comes to attitudes towards work, programming priorities, communication, technology, change, and social media. Join this activity-based session to learn from a Baby Boomer and a Gen Z how their financial wellness team is managing to work together successfully across generational divides.

 

Day 2, Session 5 - 11:15-12:15

Better Business Bureau 
Ms. Lauren Galley, Regional Director of the Better Business Bureau

In order to better serve the community, the Better Business Bureau offers presentations on critical topics such as Youth and Ethics, Scams, and Frauds, Identity Theft, and more. These services are free and available upon request to schools, colleges, associations, and other organizations.

Getting Played
Ms. Haley Rothrock, Program Coordinator for the Student Money Management Center at Sam Houston State University
Ms. Makayla Mason, Peer Coach for the Student Money Management Center at Sam Houston State University 

Come on down, you're the next contestant! Are you tired of hosting the same ol' workshops and presentations? If so, join us as we share ideas that will take your programming to the next level. We will focus on programming ideas derived from popular board games and game shows. These fun and interactive games will have students at your campus eager to participate in your next event.

Let's Get FIT: Financial Intelligence Training
Mr. Saint Mitchell, Peer Mentor for the Student Money Management Center at the University of North Texas

Ms. Asia Coley, Peer Mentor for the Student Money Management Center at the University of North Texas

Building a foundation of core personal financial knowledge can be confusing for students with so many resources available. The UNT Student Money Management Center created the curriculum-based Financial Intelligence Training (FIT) Program to provide students with the tools and knowledge to build a financial foundation upon which to attain short- and long-term financial goals. FIT is a great opportunity to provide holistic financial tools rather than a multitude of one-shot workshops. FIT can easily be modified for audiences of varying ages, education levels, and socio-economic backgrounds. Participants will walk away with tips and curriculum to adapt and replicate the program on their campuses.