I am very excited about the possibilities this center will provide our students, Dr. Bonita Jacobs, president of North Georgia, said. The skills they will gain will help them through every stage of their lives.
Only four other universities in the nation have a program dedicated solely to financial instruction for students, including a center at the University of North Texas that Jacobs helped create.
The award-winning program at UNT worked with a wide range of students including those with high credit card debt, those struggling to find funding for college, and those who wished to make good financial decisions for their futures, Jacobs said. It was collaborative, supportive, and action-oriented.
Ryanne Davis, graduate assistant of the Student Money Management Center, Patrick Pickens, president of the Student Government Association, and Mac McConnell, vice president for business and finance, visited the center at the University of North Texas to gain ideas on how to shape and operate North Georgia s center.
We are all extremely excited to bring a Student Money Management Center to North Georgia, McConnell said. This program will help all our students manage their finances and make smart business decisions.
McConnell added that Davis will be leading the implementation of strategies based on the center they toured at UNT.
Student debt has reached around one trillion dollars nationally, Davis said. This center will focus on promoting financial literacy through providing services instructing students on how to do things such as create a budget.
Other services will likely include consultations, seminars, workshops, and instructions in preventative measures.
We will offer unbiased, complete finance assistance, Davis said. Our goal is for students to be as enthusiastic about their financial independence as possible. Debt is a very negative thing, and it would be highly beneficial for students to learn how to manage money early on.
Davis said that in the future students will be able to decide whether they wish to speak to a professional consultant or a student consultant, adding that some students are more comfortable discussing their situations with a peer.
Other facilities will be collaborating with the center to provide students the broadest range of tools and knowledge possible, including the Library Technology Center. The library will be creating a guide for students as a reference for what books, articles and videos are available on financial management.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/6/250228