Personal Finance Certificate Program
Introduction | Process | Get Started
The Basics: Personal Finance and Planning for High School Students
Did you know that the average credit card debt for incoming college freshmen is over $1,500?
“The fact is we are doing a lousy job of educating our children about finances,” said financial planning guru, Suze Orman, in her testimony in front of the US Senate in February, 2007. “About how money works, about how loans work, and most importantly about being fiscally responsible… It is a failure on our part when we hand money to young adults – be it credit cards or student loans – without truly making sure they understand the mechanics of how these agreements work, and give those young adults the information they need to act responsibly.”
The lack of financial skills and understanding is a serious and growing problem for young people today. Many high school students receive and submit credit card applications, only to go into debt and destroy their credit rating.
The top ranked Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies at FDU’s Silberman College of Business has been teaching financial planning to high school students for many years as part of its popular Discover Business Teen Camp program held each summer and taught by our faculty. In addition, FDU's highly regarded Financial Planning Certificate Program is one of the largest programs of its kind in the country.
Based on this experience, we have developed, tested and refined an online financial planning program designed to teach high school students the basics of personal finance and planning in an effort to help them through high school, college and beyond.The course covers your financial plan, budgeting, investing, using credit, your money, insurance, and your career.
Participating students who enroll in the certificate program receive a certificate after viewing/listening to the two-hour lecture, completing the post lecture exercises (including one that involves parents), and passing a multiple-choice exam with four essay questions. This achievement can also be listed on your resume. Based on our experience, the estimated time to complete this intensive program is four to six hours.
Under Development: Sustainability and Collaboration modules Note: These programs are available free of charge if the student does not want the University to assess their tests and essays, or issue a certificate. In our experience, the assessment process and the resulting certificate are important markers for student success.
Our goal is to educate young people so that they have the necessary skills to lead and be successful in the future. If that can be accomplished without faculty guidance or the goal of a certificate, the material is available at no cost.
