BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A new partnership between the National Endowment for Financial Education and the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance will transfer ownership of a nationally recognized financial education resource to the alliance, which is led by Indiana University. The alliance brings together post-secondary organizations to address issues related to student financial wellness and financial education among college students.
CashCourse, which provides virtual, self-guided student coursework, articles, interactive tools and educator materials to build financial knowledge, is being used at more than 1,200 colleges and universities in all 50 states, including IU.
The partnership will ensure that CashCourse can continue to be a trusted resource for college students and faculty at IU and beyond, as the National Endowment for Financial Education retires some of its education programs – including CashCourse – to focus on providing continued support to the financial education community.
“NEFE’s financial education programming has been a staple to our success since our founding,” said President and CEO Billy Hensley. “As part of our curriculum portfolio, we launched CashCourse in 2007 to meet demand for a non-commercial, high-quality and evaluated program to help college students chart their financial futures. CashCourse has had tremendous success serving students, and I am thrilled that this program will live on, providing the opportunity to help many more for years to come.”
The National Endowment for Financial Education is donating the entire CashCourse platform, including intellectual property and resources, to the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance. The endowment will also support the alliance with grant funding and consultation over a two-year period to ensure a smooth transition.
“We’ve been a proud partner supporting the mission of the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance for many years,” Hensley said. “Indiana University and the HEFWA team have the network and capabilities to take this program to the next level, and this arrangement ensures this important work will continue.”
The Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance will immediately begin using CashCourse as part of its offerings to institutional members.
“We are incredibly humbled in the National Endowment for Financial Education’s trust in us to be able to continue the legacy they have established with CashCourse,” said Phil Schuman, executive director of financial wellness and education at IU as well as executive director of the alliance. “As an organization, HEFWA is focused on helping find ways to improve financial wellness among students in higher education. Being able to provide CashCourse to institutions across the country is a big step toward this mission. We are looking forward to expanding our services to continue to make the alliance the premier organization for student financial wellness conversations and support.”
CashCourse continues to be available to students, faculty and staff at IU, where the platform enhances an award-winning suite of virtual and in-person financial education tools and programs for students.
About the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance
The Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance, led by Indiana University, is a network of professionals dedicated to bringing together post-secondary organizations to inform national conversations that impact the financial wellness field, public policy and educational support services.
About the National Endowment for Financial Education
The National Endowment for Financial Education champions effective financial education. It is the independent, centralizing voice providing leadership, research and collaboration to advance financial well-being. As one of the first organizations to embark on the mission of wholly dedicating its efforts on improving the effectiveness of financial education, the National Endowment for Financial Education continues its legacy of strengthening action-oriented research agendas, mobilizing intermediaries, and creating better solutions for researchers, educators, practitioners and policymakers.
