Research tells us that for financial education to be effective, it needs to be relevant to your students. Include personalized information in your programming for a bigger impact. Not sure how to do this? CashCourse has some suggestions on how to make your programming more individualized. Credit Score Help your students pull their credit score. For many, this might even be their first time going through this process. This gives students a piece of financial information specific to them and provides an excellent opportunity to discuss what goes into a credit score. Consider pairing this with our “Credit: Everything You Need to Know” workshop Personal Spending Plan Take students through the process of developing their own spending plan, while emphasizing budgeting as a tool to achieve goals – not a state of deprivation. Need a guideline on how to create a spending plan? Use the CashCourse monthly budget worksheet. Student Loans Many students do not know their student loan servicer or even how much they have taken out for school. Direct your students to the National Student Loan Data System and have them do a personal financial aid review. Pair this exercise with the “Paying Back Student Loans” coursework module to get them thinking about repayment. Future Salary Estimates Use the CashCourse guide on estimating future salaries to help your students get a clearer view on life post-graduation. This is an excellent activity to pair with student loan discussions. Cost of Living Comparisons Have students list their top five locations for post-graduation living and then help them estimate the cost of living for each place. This is an excellent way to get students thinking about factors to consider when choosing between job offers beyond the starting salary. By incorporating activities that connect students to their own financial lives, you are making it relevant to them. Students are more likely to retain information if they feel a direct impact. Have a personal takeaway activity that you love? Let us know about it.