KID
TOPEKA — Cooperation between government and school district entities is keeping the Kansas Financial Scholars Program part of the high school curriculum for schools throughout Kansas.
The Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner, the Kansas Insurance Department and the Kansas State Bank Commissioner’s Office have signed agreements to continue funding the scholars program for the 2017-18 school year. The agencies partner with Everfi, Inc., a digitally-based learning management company used by many of the world’s largest financial institutions, to deliver the online curriculum.
EverFi has a network of more than 16 million learners among consumers, employees, business partners and communities. In Kansas, the Financial Scholars Program is part of more than 185 classroom learning platforms. The Kansas program is fully funded by the agencies and is provided at no cost to public, private and home schools.
A recent study conducted by George Washington University and the National Endowment for Financial Education revealed that only 24 percent of millennials demonstrate a basic understanding of personal finance. Through participation in the Kansas Financial Scholars Program, students receive interactive instruction on important financial topics such as credit scores, insurance, credit cards, student loans, mortgages, taxes, investing and saving.
The platform uniquely tracks the progress and score of every student, and it provides students who successfully complete the course with a Certification of Financial Literacy. That certification can be a valuable mark of distinction on college applications and resumes.
Additionally, high school seniors who have completed the Financial Scholars Program are eligible to compete for more than $8,000 in scholarships in an annual essay contest sponsored by the Securities and Bank Commissioners’ offices.
To date, students have received more than $24,000 in scholarships to attend schools of higher learning in Kansas.
To learn more about the Kansas Financial Scholars Program or to acquire the platform for your students, contact Shannon Santschi at 785 296-1055 or [email protected].
More about the Kansas Financial Scholars Program is online at http://www.ksc.ks.gov/index.aspx?nid=183.