Making Sense out of Dollars & Cents

Today marks a special occasion for UT Federal Credit Union as the credit union is holding a University of Tennessee Extension workshop on the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) High School Financial Planning Program for teachers in the East Tennessee area.  

This seminar is designed to provide hands-on training and guides to teachers whose curriculum addresses personal finance skills, including income, savings and investments, spending, and credit and debt management.

Joining the group of more than two dozen local teachers is Suzue Sato, a highly respected financial planner from Japan. Ms. Sato is Director of International Relations for the Japanese Association for Financial Planners (JAFP). Her interest in attending this year’s two day program is due largely to the degree of which the NEFE program has been integrated into Tennessee’s school system.

“My objectives are to learn how teachers are teaching and how students are responding,” explained Sato.  “Financial education doesn’t have any borders, and I may be able to share some of the practices in Japan while visiting East Tennessee.”

Attendance at statewide NEFE workshops is free to any teacher interested in the program.  Each workshop participant will receive a 400-page instructor’s manual and a 115-page student workbook. Teachers have the opportunity to order additional materials such as extra lesson plans, games and activities.

“Since 2007, we have provided personal finance training for 621 teachers, reaching more than 50,000 students,” says Dr. Ann Berry, chief coordinator for the workshop.  “Tennessee is one of only a handful of states now requiring this financial training for young adults.”  

UT Extension and UT Federal Credit Union, as the only bank on campus, also offer financial education geared toward college students.

UTFCU has online learning modules- Balance Financial Fitness for College Students - that cover Finances for College Students and Repaying Student Loans.

The extension office is part of a pioneer program with other universities called Love Your Money.