Expo Helps Students Develop Financial Literacy

WINTERVILLE—For the second straight year, Pitt Community College held a Financial Wellness Expo on campus to help students develop sound money management practices through increased financial literacy.

Organized by PCC Success Navigators and TRiO, the program drew approximately 350 students to the Craig F. Goess Student Center Wednesday to meet one-on-one with representatives from the local financial services industry. In addition to insurance, budgeting and establishing good credit, topics ranged from financial stress management and investments to identity theft and taxes.

Like last year’s Expo, the program took place immediately after the start of fall semester, a period when many students are living on their own and making important financial decisions for the first time in their lives.

PCC TRiO Programs Director Travis Kinsey, who helped coordinate the program, said it is important for Pitt to help students develop their knowledge of personal finance, particularly those in their first year at the college.

“Early on in college, students receive credit card offers from various organizations that may seem beneficial at first but could end up being detrimental,” he said. “Through programs like the Financial Wellness Expo, we want to provide students with the information they need in order to make smart decisions that lead to good credit standing.”

Though she is in her second year at PCC, student Jakia Worsley still came out to the Expo to learn more about credit cards and loans. She said learned a great deal about building good credit by speaking with a State Employees Credit Union representative during the event.

Allesandro Vos, who is in his third semester at Pitt, said the Expo is an excellent way for new students to learn more about the financial services available to them locally and where they can be found. He said he stopped by the Expo to learn more about federal financial aid.

With 67 percent of Pitt students receiving at least some type of financial aid assistance, Expo organizers scheduled special presentations by PCC Financial Aid Director Lee Bray throughout the event.

Bray asked students to consider the pros and cons of educational loans and encouraged them to approach PCC financial aid staff with their questions and concerns. She also provided tips on paying off student loans and stressed the importance of satisfactory academic progress with regard to maintaining financial aid eligibility.

09/07/2018