Podcast Episode 2: Financial Education’s Role in Equitable Access to Post-Secondary Education

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Focus on Fin Ed: The Policy Convenings Podcast - Episode Two

In episode two, host Raven Newberry interviews Rachel Yanof, the policy convening’s moderator, to follow-up on the major takeaways and understand the reasons why pursuing postsecondary education doesn't seem like a realistic option for so many.

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Topics we cover in this episode

  • Overall takeaways from the policy convening, including what was shared and where the conversation is leading us
  • Factors contributing to inequitable postsecondary access
  • The array of options and pathways to education beyond high school
  • How students make choices about affording postsecondary education
  • Recommendations for policymakers to address these issues

On key takeaways from the convening…

“There is so much passion and energy for this topic, and we need that because no one else is going to shepherd it forward as much as educators and thinkers.” [2:33]

On helping individuals navigate the postsecondary landscape…

"There needs to be 'onramps' and 'offramps' [for postsecondary options] given that life is not linear." [4:28]

On learning from those navigating the administrative process associated with postsecondary education…

“Listening to [student’s] stories and having them share their stories is great, but to what end? Who is in the room and who can actually do something about [the issues]? It's important to have an adult in the room who can say, ‘and here's the policy connection,’ from that story, so we can actually make improvements.” [12:35]

On why financial education isn’t easy to discuss…

“We need to normalize talking about money so that students and families can talk about it.” [17:54]

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Appalachian College Association Partnership Final Report Now Available Our first Financial Education Innovation & Impact Summit included the announcement of a new, research-to-practice initiative to champion and advance effective, population-specific practices in financial education. Joining us for that announcement was one of the first organizations to participate in this endeavor: The Appalachian College Association (ACA). Selecting the ACA meant gaining access to a student body made up of first-generation, rural and lower-income college students in the backbone of the Appalachian region, from Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Our goal was to work collaboratively with the association and individual colleges in strategizing, developing, implementing, promoting and measuring the success of customized financial education interventions tailored to their undergraduate population. Throughout the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, over 1,000 students on seven ACA campuses participated in remote, in-person or hybrid opportunities to prepare for their financial future. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected to provide a fully transparent evaluation of the purpose and benefits of the work. A full analysis of the outcomes of this project are now available in an independent report. [Executive Summary Button] [Full Report Button] Learn more about strategic partnerships at NEFE.

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