The website LendEDU has released its annual Top 50 Financial Literacy Programs report, and Southern made the list for the third year in a row. After analyzing colleges and universities based on LendEDU’s unique scoring system, LendEDU placed Southern in the top 50, at #9, up from #29 in 2018.
LendEDU is a marketplace for private student loans, student loan refinancing, credit cards, and personal loans, among other financial products. LendEDU’s goal is to create transparency in these markets to help consumers make educated decisions and better manage their money. It annually compiles a ranking of the 50 best financial literacy programs offered at colleges throughout the United States, looking at hundreds of colleges and universities that are known to have a financial literacy program. The rankings were based on three specifications:
- The number of workshops and resources available
- Access to one-on-one financial consultation
- Incentivizing programs available (e.g., scholarships for attending workshops)
According to LendEDU, Southern “takes the ninth spot by offering over 100 annual workshops about financial literacy and education. Some workshops include Paying for College, Budget Talk$, and Life After College. The university also has an active and personalized financial advising program, with over 3,174 individual financial plans having been created over the years for students. Many resources have been gathered to a centralized webpage, including student discounts, recommended reading, and videos.”
LendEDU also includes Southern in the recent article, “Colleges That Are Making a Difference By Improving Financial Literacy.”
Lewis J. DeLuca, Jr., coordinator of Student Financial Literacy and Advising, advises students on financial literacy. Through advising, outreach and on-campus programming, he works closely with students and parents to raise awareness about financial literacy, student aid programs and scholarships, as well as the advantages of the timely completion of a degree.
“Financial aid departments in colleges and universities have people who talk with students, but generally not in the kind of depth that we are able to provide on a consistent basis,” DeLuca has said. “And we are available to talk with high school students and potential transfer students, as well.”
