SESLOC Financial Scholars

SESLOC Sponsors Financial Education in Central Coast High Schools.

SESLOC is the proud sponsor of the Financial Scholars program, which provides financial education for Central Coast high school students. SESLOC pays all the fees so local teachers can implement the program at no cost. This 6-hour, online program uses interactive, cutting-edge technology to engage students, and covers a range of topics including banking basics, credit and debit cards, investing and financing higher education. Currently, SESLOC is the only financial institution in the region to provide this benefit to local schools. We believe if we better educate the students of today, they will become the financially responsible citizens of tomorrow.

The Financial Scholars program is developed by EverFi, an international distributor of technology-based financial literacy and wellness resources. EverFi works directly with teachers to implement the online programs, which are offered anytime during the school year. Once enrolled in the program, teachers have access to seven 20-35 minute lessons. To bring it to your school, email Lance Burbank, SESLOC’s EverFi Schools Manager.

Financial Scholars Program Results

SESLOC was pleased to introduce the Financial Scholars program during the 2018-2019 school year. The following year, the COVID-19 pandemic drove unprecedented level of school closures, and the SESLOC Financial Scholars proved to be a valuable supplement to teachers’ remote learning plans. As schools juggled hybrid models, and eventually returned to in-person learning, the program continues to support financial literacy. 

Program results include:

• During the 2018-2019 school year, 360 students at 3 schools completed 1,611 hours of learning.
• During the 2019-2020 school year, 460 students at 4 schools completed 1,700 hours of learning.
  • After completing the program, students’ financial literacy assessment scores increased by 54%
  • The number of students who felt confident they could make and follow a budget grew 65%
• During the 2020-2021 school year, 650 students at 5 schools completed more than 1,500 hours of learning.
• During the 2021-2022 school year, 970 students at 7 schools completed 2,496 hours of learning. 

Feedback from high school learners:

• “I am more confident about managing my money better. I will use what I learned in this course in my day-to-day life.”
• “I liked that this course taught me about my finances and important things like budgeting, credit, and various accounts I will eventually need….without this course I’m not sure where I would learn all this information.”
• “I honestly really like how easy and simple the concepts are and how they are organized…I will also use this to teach my family more about saving.”

Continued success:

During the 2021-2022 school year, 7 schools participated in the program: Lompoc, Cabrillo, Maple, Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley, Nipomo, and Paso Robles High Schools.

More on the Financial Scholars Program

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