Most students don’t take their financial health into consideration until they’ve graduated, or even later. As of 2016, only 17 states required high school students to take a personal finance course. According to a survey done by Lendedu, 58% of students said they don’t save any money, 81% had no emergency fund, 60% had little to no knowledge of financial investments, and 48% said they had little to no knowledge of saving for retirement.

The Business Administration Department at Southwestern Adventist University decided to answer this problem by offering free seminars every semester to all students. The seminars, put on by faculty and knowledgeable community members, covers topics such as how to file their taxes, how to buy a car, manage personal financial statements, bookkeeping, and how to maintain a budget.

The seminars were designed to provide students with concrete knowledge they can take with them beyond the campus after they graduate. “Every one of the seminars we are having are going to include topics that pertain to student financial life, information they can use now and throughout the rest of their life,” says Dr. Aaron Moses, seminar coordinator and Business Department chair.