The Housatonic Community College Foundation announced today that it has received a $10,000 grant to respond to the financial literacy needs of its students.
The grant, awarded by Bank of America, provides funding for a series of financial literacy workshops and a Financial Reality Fair.
The grant will also support creating a comprehensive catalog of the College’s financial literacy resources and expanding the capacity of the HCC Financial Literacy Center. Additionally, it will fund activities of the HCC Business Club, including financial education field trips and financial literacy guest speakers throughout the academic year.
Free, one-hour monthly financial literacy workshops will be held in the HCC Library, led by student presenters under the guidance of Mary Ann Vlahac, HCC’s Instructor of Business Administration. Presentations will feature Bank of America “Better Money Habits” materials, the firm’s financial literacy curriculum. Support references will be available to students from the HCC financial literacy collection.
“National studies cite two-thirds of college students face financial difficulties preventing them from completing their studies and achieving their career dreams. Both Bank of America and Housatonic Community College are working together to change this statistic,” said Vlahac.
A Financial Reality Fair will be held in April, during National Financial Literacy Month. This interactive event will allow students to identify their career choice starting salary, then challenge them to complete a spending plan to live within budget while balancing paying for basic living expenses, such as housing, food, and transportation, with non-essential expenditures.
“Our goal at Bank of America is to help make financial lives better, so we understand the importance of arming young adults with the tools and resources they need to achieve long-term financial success,” said Bill Tommins, Southern Connecticut market president, Bank of America, “We’re proud to invest in local educational institutions like Housatonic Community College, and together, we’re working to remove the different barriers to economic mobility that our community members may face.”
“Through these efforts, students will have the information they need to make smarter financial decisions and become better equipped to reach their educational goals,” said HCC President, Dr. Paul Broadie II. “We are grateful to Bank of America for their generous gift and for helping to make these valuable resources a reality.”
The workshops will be open to all HCC students and the community. Topics explored will be relevant to students’ interests, ranging from building spending plans and digging out of debt to living with a roommate, and managing digital security. For more information, please contact Mary Ann Vlahac, .