Dollars and Sense- Financial Literacy at USC

The Student Success Center's financial literacy presentation provides students the opportunity to connect with an array of financial concepts and practices that will assist them in the development of effective money management skills. These presentations will serve as an introduction to basic concepts such as goal setting, developing and maintaining a budget, and credit management. Through the use of worksheets, hands-on activities, and interactive tools, students will have an opportunity to engage with the material in a way that fosters their own independent learning so they are able to take the first steps towards leading a financially stable lifestyle.

Learning Outcomes

This presentation supports University 101 learning outcomes:

II. Help Students Discover and Connect with The University of South Carolina

a) Identify appropriate campus resources and opportunities that contribute to their educational experience, goals, and campus engagement.
b) Develop and apply skills that contribute to building positive relationships with peers, staff and faculty.

III. Prepare Students for Responsible Lives in a Diverse, Interconnected, and Changing World
d) Describe processes, strategies, and resources, and explain the implications of their decisions, related to their overall wellness.

As a result of this presentation students will:

• Understand how their actions impact their financial future.
• Identify basic skills necessary to effectively manage their money.
• Understand what can positively and negatively impact their credit score.
• Identify resources on and off campus for further information regarding developing their own financial literacy.

Program Description
Below is the outline for the Dollars and Sense presentation. Please note that the presentation includes both portions listed below (budgeting and credit). The format for the presentation will include PowerPoint, group project/activity, and group discussion. Each presentation will be conducted by the Coordinator for Financial Literacy, the Graduate Assistant for Financial Literacy, and/or a Peer Educator. If there are additional topics that you would like to incorporate in the presentation, please include that information when you are scheduling your appointment through TutorTrac and we will do our best to include it. *We will not be able to accommodate every request due to time constraints and presenter training.

Dollars and Sense

1. Cocky's Budget
Budgeting is the foundation of all that you will do when it comes to managing your money. Therefore, knowing how to develop and maintain a budget is one of the most important financial concepts you can learn. Budgets are the ticket to spending the money you have while avoiding the pitfalls of poor money management. This portion of the presentation will focus on learning the basics of budgeting as well as information they need to assess their current spending, develop their own budget to track their expenses, and tips for long-term maintenance. Cocky's Budget is a hands-on group activity that challenges students to put to their budgeting skills to use.

2. The Importance of Keeping Score
Consumer credit plays such an important role not just in our lives, but in the culture in which we live. When used correctly, credit can help you attend college, buy a house, and support your lifetime goals. When used incorrectly, credit can become a limiting factor with legal implications. Credit scores serve as the numerical snapshot that represent how well somebody manages their consumer credit. Unfortunately, not many know how a credit score is generated or how their actions impact their score. A good credit score can take years to create but only a short time to destroy. This portion of the presentation will include a basic overview of the different types of credit, the basics of a credit score, and actions that can have a positive and negative impact when using credit effectively in money management.

Independent Practice
We will provide each instructor with a budgeting and credit activity that they can use as a follow-up assignment with their class. If you wish to include either activity (or both) please note that when you sign up for your presentation time in TutorTrac.