A partnership between U.S. Bank and HBCU First completed a financial education academy for college students last fall, with another academy set to launch this spring.

The program is in its fourth year and while the first two years were led by employee volunteers from the bank, the most recent session was conducted by the bank’s goals coaches, who have formal training in leading such programs, said Ana Salazar, the goals coaching program manager.

“Our goals coaches can not only provide the financial education foundation, they also provide one-on-one support,” Salazar said. “They will meet with you and talk through what goals you want to reach, why they’re important, the motivation behind them and what obstacles you’ve encountered, and provide tools and resources to help.”

The partnership with HBCU First is part of the bank’s broader efforts to educate young people about financial matters as well as recruit them for potential careers with the company, said Valerie Livingston-Davis, early career recruiting program manager.

“We have a focus on recruiting and developing students as we look for great talent to move into our pipeline,” Livingston-Davis said.

The bank’s financial education program is part of a series of skill-building accelerators that HBCU First offers to students at 100 historically Black colleges and universities, said Courtney Gray, HBCU First founder.

“Our charge is to advance the well-being and economic participation of American youth,” Gray said. We focus on students in HBCUs to help bridge the expectations gap in today’s workforce.”

HBCU First partnered with U.S. Bank in part because of its position as a leading regional bank, he said.

“U.S. Bank has the scale and name recognition, as well as a service element you don’t get with other big banks, and that’s very appealing to me,” Gray said. “It’s also recognized for having a great work environment, and that matters to this generation.”

Students were asked to provide feedback on the bank’s financial education sessions, which were provided through online seminars. Comments they provided included:

"I loved how (the goals coach) broke things down in a simple, relatable way — like comparing credit scores to school grades. It made the info easy to understand and was my favorite session so far." — Vontasia Smith, Tuskegee University

"I appreciated learning about U.S. Bank’s coaching sessions and how budgeting can feel simple and practical. It gave me confidence to manage my money better." — Zian Mackenzie, Howard University

“I’m incredibly appreciative of U.S. Bank. The discussions we’ve had are shaping the way I look at money and plan for my future.” — Amiya Fitzgerald, Howard University

"As someone without a credit card, I appreciated learning the first steps and starter cards to make this next step less intimidating." — Samantha Alvares, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

The bank’s goals coaches are available to anyone aged 18 or older, Salazar said.

“You don’t have to be a U.S. Bank customer to use our goals coaches,” she said. “They’re here to help anyone who needs it.”