UTC professor presents positive results of financial literacy class

Dr. Christi Wann, UC Foundation Associate Professor of Finance, was an invited speaker in the first Dave Ramsey Collegiate Symposium. The symposium, hosted in Brentwood, Tennessee, was designed to show regional universities how Dave Ramsey and his team are working with leading colleges and universities to change students’ lives through financial literacy. Wann presented dramatic evidence supporting behavioral and learning outcomes from students who participated in UTC’s Personal Finance courses.

Last summer, Wann taught a financial literacy class and her students saw some great results. Below is a short Q & A about her experience.

What was most rewarding about teaching this class?

My class of 42 students saved $30,198 in one semester! This is quite amazing for college students! Many student comments reflect the theme of one student who said, “This is by far the most I have ever taken out of a college course.” Seeing the behavioral and learning outcomes of this class has been an exceptionally important and meaningful experience in my career as a finance professor. My students have really learned how to manage their future financial behavior, live with dignity, and face life’s financial challenges.

Why do you think students struggle with financial management?

The main reason is simple. No one ever taught them how to manage their money. The basic first step is to start building an emergency fund by saving $500. From numerous student examples, this small emergency fund allowed many to pay for emergencies such as car trouble or a temporary reduction in pay. Students reported that they were able to stay in school because they had their emergency fund in place.  Sadly, the National Center for Education Statistics (2012) found that 31 percent of college students leave school due to financial reasons. Further, student loan debt has reached an all-time high of $1.08 trillion, with 11.5 percent over 90 days delinquent or in default (Touryalai, 2014).

Your results are impressive. Most of us have heard “spend less/save more” but I’m not sure how many actually do something about it—why do you think this program was effective in actually changing student behavior?

The reason why our Personal Finance course produces successful results is because students learn how to modify their financial behavior in ways that anyone can follow.  The class teaches students how psychology and emotions play an important role in financial spending behavior. This class is particularly motivating in several ways.

First, students learn how saving and investing just a small amount of money as a young person can make them a millionaire in the future. Second, students learn how to make the budget process a habit every month with the help of example financial forms and recommended budget percentages. As a result, more than half of the students began to budget regularly by the end of the semester. Third, students are encouraged to save and pay cash for expenditures instead of using debt as a tool to make impulse purchases with a credit card. Fourth, students learn how to obtain their credit reports and which types of insurance they should obtain. Finally, approximately 70 percent of college students believe that their universities need to increase financial literacy initiatives and expand programs that teach students the skills they need to successfully manage their money (Higher One Holdings, Inc., 2010).