HARRISBURG, Penn.—PSECU has launched a pilot program aimed at providing free, one-on-one financial coaching sessions to members who are students at five Pennsylvania-based colleges and universities.
Based on the success of the pilot, the program could expand to another 10 higher-ed institutions throughout 2020, the credit union said. The five universities in the pilot are Lehigh University, Northampton Community College, Northampton Community College - Monroe Campus, Millersville University, and Shippensburg University.
“Between classes, sports, clubs and jobs, it’s often hard for students to find the time to learn the essentials of money management,” said PSECU President and CEO George Rudolph. “Through this unique learning opportunity, we hope to make it easy and convenient for them to get the knowledge necessary to build a solid foundation for financial success.”
The 30-minute individual coaching sessions will be held on campus, and students can sign up at PSECU’s Financial Education Centers. PSECU said students may choose from two session topics:
- Understanding Credit, which is about learning to access and understand a credit report.
- Overview of Student Loans, which teaches students how to use National Student Loan Data System to review strategies and manage loans after graduation.
‘Most Benefit Possible’
“We want to make sure that the information and guidance we share with students through this program offers the most benefits possible, so our coaching sessions will be led by highly trained PSECU staff who have completed CUNA’s Financial Counseling Certification program,” said Consumer Education Strategist Sara Weiser.
To participate in a coaching session, students must be PSECU members who are at least 18 years old and currently enrolled at the host institution. They must also bring their own device, such as a smartphone, laptop, or tablet, to view and download their credit report and access their National Student Loan Data System account.
Students can sign up for their one-on-one coaching session by visiting the PSECU Financial Education Center on participating campuses.