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<strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong>Online Financial Literacy and Student Success Program
As part of their education, students need to develop basic life management skills so thatthey graduate on time with a minimum amount of debt. <strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong>® <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong>® is anonline financial literacy and student success program designed both to enhance thepersonal finance skills of college students and to promote successful completion of theiracademic programs.<strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong> helps students understand basic strategies for managing financesand for completing degree work in a timely manner by organizing complex informationinto a clear-cut format that is easy for students to understand and retain. And becausestudents who fully understand the appropriate use of finances are less likely to defaulton their student loans, the program also supports schools’ efforts to lower education loandefault rates.Topics are presented as part of a curriculum of more than 30 online courses that includeinteractive exercises, real-life scenarios, tools and resources, and end-of-course assessmentsto test knowledge and the ability to apply concepts learned. The interactive format helpsstudents connect with realistic content that relates to their everyday experiences.Measuring Student Impact<strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong> measures gains in student knowledge, captures attitude andplanned action after course completion, and tracks students’ application of the conceptsand tools in the months following completion. Post-lesson assessments evaluate students’knowledge of and ability to apply key personal finance and student success concepts.Reports identify students’ course completion and assessment results. Surveys measurestudents’ self-reported gains in knowledge, overall satisfaction with the program, intentto change behavior and, later, the behavior changes that students actually made.More than 90 percent of students surveyed threeto six months after completing <strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong>courses report having changed at least onepersonal finance or academic success behavior.91.9 %2,528 of 2,751 students surveyed during 2012reported making at least one change in behavior,resulting in 27,174 reported behavior changes.The Brandon Hall Group 2013Excellence in Learning AwardsProgram named <strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong><strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong> a gold medal winneras an Extended EnterpriseLearning Program.The awards recognize organizationsthat have successfully developedand deployed programs, strategies,processes, systems and toolsthat have achieved measurableresults. Learning, talent and businessexecutives often refer to theprogram as the “Academy Awards”of learning program honors.
Customized Learning<strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong> makes it easy to develop custom curriculafor various student populations by selecting from more than30 available online courses, and for using the content asa standalone resource or blending it with other materials.Courses can be assigned to undergraduate students, adultlearners or graduate and professional students, or to otherstudent segments — students on academic probation,freshmen attending orientation, students graduating or leavingschool, student-athletes or at-risk populations. Students cancomplete the lessons on their own, in a classroom setting orusing a combination of both formats to provide a blendedlearning approach.Sample Topics of<strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong>CoursesFinancial Aid and Paying for Collegeu Paying for Higher Education.u Applying for Financial Aid.u Managing Student Loans Whilein School.u Repaying Student Loans.School and Personal<strong>Life</strong> Managementu Setting and Achieving Goals.u Selecting a Program of Study.u Managing Time While in School.u Managing Personal <strong>Life</strong>.u Living on a Budget.Credit and Money Managementu Managing Credit Cards.u Credit Reports and Credit Scores.u Identity Theft.u Managing Debt.u Setting Savings Goals.u Selecting Savings Methods.Graduating Studentsu Establishing Career Goals.u Estimating Expected Income andTake-Home Pay.u Finding a Job.u Preparing for an Interview.u Living on a Budget.u Deciding Whether to Pursue aGraduate Education.The courses include content that is highly relevant to students, includinginteractive exercises, personalized take-away activities, and real-life scenarios.Each online course can be completed in approximately 30 minutes.Graduate Students andAdult Learnersu Cost of a Graduate Education.u Paying for a Graduate Degree.u Estimating Expected Income.u Managing Debt and ControllingSpending While in School.u Budgeting While Pursuing aGraduate Degree.u Surviving During Graduate School.Couples in Schoolu Having a <strong>Life</strong> With Little Money.u Coping With School and a Relationship.u Managing Money While in School.
Why <strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong>?u Content specifically targets the critical needs of college students, including payingfor college, succeeding academically, managing student loans and ensuring a solidfinancial future following graduation.u Engaging and interactive learning involves students in the subject matter to enhancecomprehension and retention.u Reporting demonstrates impact in improving students’ knowledge of key personalfinance and academic success concepts, changing attitudes and generating actualchanges toward positive personal finance and academic success behaviors.u Comprehensive curriculum enhances personal finance skills, promotes better studentloan repayment habits and ultimately contributes to lower cohort default rates.u The online delivery reduces staff resources required to facilitate the program andallows students 24/7 access to the information they need.u Provided at no cost to postsecondary institutions.“We chose <strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong><strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong> becausestudents could completethe information at theirown pace, they couldrelate to the information,and the informationwas current.”— Rebecca Rose, (right)Assistant Director, Office ofFinancial Aid and ScholarshipPrograms, Syracuse UniversityContact your <strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> representative for more informationabout <strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>Skills</strong>.MKCM348-1013 © 2013 United Student Aid <strong>Funds</strong>, Inc. All rights reserved.www.usafunds.orgA nonprofit corporation, <strong>USA</strong> <strong>Funds</strong>® works to enhancepostsecondary education preparedness, access and success byproviding and supporting financial and other valued services.
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