Many University organizations gathered in Free Speech Plaza on Thursday to promote the importance of financial literacy for students.
“We want students to think about financial literacy for just one minute,” said Emily Burris Hester, Student Financial Management Center coordinator.
Hester said her organization aimed to get in front of students to emphasize the importance of financial knowledge and planning.
President Barack Obama declared April Financial Literacy Month in the U.S., followed by Gov. Bobby Jindal in Louisiana. In a proclamation, Jindal highlighted many financial problems Louisiana citizens experience, stating 20 percent of residents spend more than they earn and 61 percent have no emergency funds.
Hester said Wednesday was Financial Literacy Day at the State Capitol, where many organizations promoted financial awareness to the Legislature.
Hester and the SFMC partnered with Campus Federal Credit Union to host Financial Literacy Day on campus. Blaine Grimes, financial education coordinator at Campus Federal Credit Union, said the organization sponsored a financial literacy week for the past seven years but wanted to combine with the SFMC to foster greater awareness.
“We’ve been serving LSU for 75 years,” Grimes said, “and this is a way of letting the community know we go beyond bank telling.”
Grimes said Campus Federal has a responsibility to educate and equip students to be financially independent.
Olivia Sisti, accounting senior, said financial literacy should be more important to the University and the Baton Rouge community. Sisti is a member of Students in Free Enterprise, a student outreach group dedicated to educating the community about marketing and entrepreneurship.
Grimes said the E.J. Ourso College of Business loaned its mobile classroom to the SFMC and Campus Federal to provide a space for students to learn more about finance in a comfortable setting.
“Students are looking for financial help from a place they can trust,” Grimes said.
Hester said she encourages students to do their financial homework and make money management a priority.
Students who stopped by the financial literacy booth were encouraged to visit the SFMC website, Hester said, where resources are available to help students budget their expenses.
“Financial literacy is an active process,” Hester said, “and resources exist to make that easier.”
 
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Contact Brian Sibille at [email protected]