Truist Foundation Awards FIU's College of Business $1.7 Million to Expand Financial Literacy Program
MIAMI, February 23, 2021 /3BL Media/ – The Truist Foundation has awarded a $1.7 million grant to Florida International University’s College of Business (FIU Business) to expand the reach of a high school financial literacy program to school systems across the U.S.
Currently, students of four public high schools in Miami-Dade County and parents participate in the National Academy Foundation’s (NAF) Academy of Finance (AOF) program, learning through the Truist FIU Financial Wellness Clinic. The five-year grant will allow the clinic team to deliver the Truist-FIU Finance curriculum to eight high schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Additionally, the program, which began in person and is now offered virtually, will be made available to schools in other Florida districts and nationally. On the national level, teachers and high school students in at least 140 U.S. cities will have access to the curriculum.
The technology-intensive Truist FIU Financial Wellness Clinic aims to increase college readiness and financial literacy for participants, who learn how to responsibly spend, save, borrow, and be smart consumers when shopping for financial services and insurance.
“Financial literacy skills are vitally important for both students and their parents, who must make prudent, well-informed financial decisions as they approach college and careers,” said FIU Business Dean Joanne Li. “We are grateful for the support of the Truist Foundation, which has enabled FIU Business to share our knowledge base of financial planning skills with not only our South Florida community but also with families across the nation.”
The expansion of the program will begin virtually in spring 2021. As FIU’s campus repopulation allows, students from selected schools will be able to visit the Truist FIU Financial Wellness Clinic several times per year for workshops on various financial literacy topics.
“At Truist, we understand the importance of building wealth to improve economic mobility, and we want to instill those concepts in students as early in life as possible,” said Tony Coley, South Florida regional president for Truist, speaking on behalf of the Truist Foundation. “Our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities, and we know financial wellness leads to happiness and future success.”
FIU Business will continue to host students from Academy of Finance schools in South Florida at the “I am C²” College & Career Ready Conference, to be held virtually as needed, in partnership with the National Academy Foundation. They also will be invited to complete the Bloomberg Market Concepts Certification, a 10-hour self-paced e-learning course on financial markets, including core concepts and portfolio management.
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About FIU Business:
Florida International University’s College of Business plays a pivotal role in the development of global business leaders. With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, FIU Business is widely recognized for its expertise in international business, real estate, data analytics, entrepreneurship, healthcare management, and a broad range of financial services. Its faculty ranks among the Top 100 in the U.S. in UT Dallas’ survey of business research productivity. For more information about FIU Business, visit www.business.fiu.edu.
About FIU:
Florida International University is Miami’s public research university, focused on student success. According to U.S. News and World Report, FIU has 26 top-50 rankings in the nation among public universities, and Washington Monthly Magazine ranks FIU among the top 20 public universities contributing to the public good and No. 12 for social mobility. FIU is a top U.S. research university (R1), with more than $200 million in annual expenditures. FIU ranks 15th in the nation among public universities for patent production, which drives innovation, and is one of the institutions that helps make Florida the top state for higher education. The Next Horizon fundraising campaign is furthering FIU’s commitment to providing students Worlds Ahead opportunities. Today, FIU has two campuses and multiple centers, and supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA, with more than 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. The university has awarded more than 330,000 degrees to many leaders in South Florida and beyond. For more information about FIU, visit www.fiu.edu.
About Truist Foundation:
The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on leadership development, economic mobility, thriving communities and educational equity. Learn more at Truist.com/Purpose/Truist-Foundation.
Media Contact:
Media contacts:
Cynthia Corzo, Florida International University
305-348-1664
Audria Belton, Truist
