College of Business to offer financial literacy course for high school students

(April 20, 2021) - Local high school students will have an opportunity to learn about personal finance thanks to a new partnership with Clayton State University’s College of Business.

The business college has signed an agreement with the Center for Investment and Wealth Management at the University of California – Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business to offer a residential financial literacy program. The program will be called LIFEVest.

“LIFEVest is the perfect program for the community of students we serve. Our goal to transform students through impactful engagement has to start before they become college students,” said Dr. Jacob Chacko, dean of the College of Business. “This program will enable us motivate high school students who have the potential to be first generation college students and help them make that dream come true.”

The weeklong program will bring underserved students going into either 9th or 10th grade to Clayton State’s campus for a week. During the week, students will be encouraged to attend and prepare for college and become the first in their families to earn a degree.

Students will perform a personality and strengths exercise to help them think about careers and then work backwards to where they are today – major in college, different types of colleges, how to pick a college, how to pay for college, high school plan, etc.

Students will then work the other direction and go over their first paycheck, budgeting, investment, savings and retirement. Ultimately, students will present a 10-15 minute LIFEplan that goes over their plans for the future – from today until retirement simply by getting an education and being financially smart.

Corporate site visits with companies will be scheduled throughout the program and social etiquette dinners will teach students how to eat and act during a business dinner.

Chacko anticipates 35 to 40 high school students will participate in the program annually. The first two years of LIFEVest will be funded by the Center for Investment and Wealth Management at the University of California – Irvine.