Innovative Program to Bring Much Needed Financial Education to Campuses and Students Nationwide
NEW YORK--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Aug 30, 2005--According to a recent study, only 25% of students think that their college provides them with the resources necessary to use credit responsibly. To meet the need of approximately 10.4 million college students, Citi`s award-winning Credit-ED(R) program today launches the Credit-ED(R) Challenge. This much-needed one-hour, interactive, free financial education workshop will be delivered to campuses across the country. The Credit-ED Challenge is also available as an on-line tutorial at www.Students.UseCreditWisely.com. Once students have completed the Credit-ED Challenge, they are encouraged to take the Credit-ED Challenge Certification quiz to become Credit-ED Certified.
To engage educators and facilitators to conduct workshops on-campus as well as drive students to take the Credit-ED Challenge and get Credit-ED Certified, Citi has designated the week of September 26 - 30 as ''Get Credit-ED Certified Week.''
Featuring the latest financial education information, videos and activities, the Credit-ED Challenge helps students:
* Look at their spending habits and attitudes towards money * See how a budget helps them reach their financial goals * Learn the importance of a credit history * Understand the rewards and responsibilities of credit card use
With a clear need for financial education resources on-campus, the Credit-ED Challenge is being praised by financial literacy leaders. ''College students will like the Credit-ED Challenge -- it cuts to the chase on credit card issues that students need to know,'' says Rosella Bannister, Manager, Jump$tart Personal Finance Clearinghouse and Director Emeritus of Consumer Education at Eastern Michigan University. ''A nice package bundled into a one-hour workshop -this learning experience promises to make a significant difference in the lifelong financial well-being of college students.''
The Credit-ED Challenge Workshop kit contains all the materials necessary for a facilitator to conduct a one-hour interactive financial education workshop on-campus. Facilitators can include residence life staff, housing directors, orientation advisors, other student life personnel and educators. The workshop assumes no prior financial knowledge on the part of the facilitator or participants. Materials in this free Credit-ED Challenge workshop kit, available for facilitators to order at www.Students.UseCreditWisely.com, include:
* Facilitator Guide * Student Handouts Book * DVD of students talking about credit * Flyers to advertise workshop * Credit-ED Public Service Announcement DVD * Access to the Credit-ED Challenge certification quiz
Students can also take the Credit-ED Challenge on-line at their own pace at www.Students.UseCreditWisely.com. This tutorial features the same material, videos and activities taught in the Credit-ED Challenge workshop. After completing the Credit-ED Challenge, either via the workshop or on-line, students are encouraged to receive their Credit-ED Certification by passing -- scoring 70% or higher -- the Credit-ED Challenge Certification quiz at www.Students.UseCreditWisely.com.
''It`s critical that college students have the resources to learn responsible personal financial management because their spending and payment habits today can impact their financial future,'' says Jeff Schumacher, Senior Vice President, Citi Cards. ''The innovative Credit-ED Challenge strengthens our ongoing commitment to providing young adults with the right information to help them develop good money management skills and begin building a good credit history.''
Since its inception in 2000, Citi`s Credit-ED Program, an ongoing and comprehensive credit education initiative for students, has distributed over 1 million credit education materials for free to students, administrators and parents. To learn more about the fundamentals of money management for students, visit www.Students.UseCreditWisely.com.
In 2004, Citigroup and the Citigroup Foundation announced a 10-year, $200 million global financial education commitment, the formation of a new Office of Financial Education and a global initiative designed to encourage its 300,000 employees around the world to devote time to support financial education and other charitable causes. Under the new initiative, employees may take a day off from work to volunteer for non-profit organizations in their communities.
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About Citi Cards Citi, or Citi Cards, is a member of Citigroup (NYSE: C). Citigroup, the preeminent global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, insurance, securities brokerage, and asset management. Major brand names under Citigroup`s trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.
Citigroup Financial Education Program Based on the belief that knowledge is your greatest asset, the Citigroup Financial Education Program is a global, company-wide effort to identify, support and implement initiatives that help give individuals, families and communities the tools needed to make sound financial decisions. Citigroup`s 10-year, $200 million global commitment is focused in three areas: Personal Financial Education, Small Business Financial Education, and Institutional Financial Education. Additional information about Citigroup`s Financial Education Program, including Foundation guidelines, links and resources, including the Citigroup Financial Education Program Curriculum and Facilitator`s Guide may be found at: http://financialeducation.citigroup.com
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