WEBINAR: Connecting Children’s Savings, Financial Access, and Financial Education to the Federal GEAR UP Program

This year, the federal GEAR UP program -- a $300 million grant program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education -- is encouraging applicants to include strategies in their proposals that focus on financial literacy and educational savings. As such, CFED and New America will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, May 18th to discuss the link between savings and educational outcomes, as well as policies and partnerships that encourage children's savings and financial education. The webinar itself is meant to discuss the rationale behind these efforts, guide GEAR UP grantees through the process, and possibly make connections between between the asset building and education fields to create and enhance college savings and financial education efforts.

Participants will include myself, Leigh Tivol (Director of Savings and Financial Security at CFED), Phil Martin (Assistant for Financial Education and Student Aid at the U.S. Department of Education) and GEAR UP Program officers that will discuss the nuts and bolts of the grant application and approval process.

This is one piece of the partnership between the Department of Education, the FDIC, and the NCUA promoting savings for education, and follows on the heels of Secretary Arne Duncan talking about the importance of savings and financial education. Watch for yourself:

You can register for the webinar by clicking this link