Frequently Asked Questions

Why should my campus attend the 2011 Symposium on Financial Literacy and College Success at Minority-Serving Institutions: Institutionalizing Approaches to Student Success?
The symposium is an opportunity for a diverse group of invested campus stakeholders to meet outside of the campus environment and to focus on capacity building projects to enhance institutional efficiency.

What are MSIs? Is my campus eligible to attend the symposium?
Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) are federally defined institutions whose mission is to serve minority populations. Although other categories do exist, for the purpose of this program, they include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. MSIs are well known for their role in serving minority students, educating more than one-third of the nation’s students of color. In order to attend the MSI Symposium, your institution must meet the federal criteria for classification as an MSI.

How many people from my institution may attend the symposium?
All institutions should send teams of three (3) senior level administrators.

What should each team’s financial literacy plan include?
Each team's financial literacy plan should include a brief overview of the campus’s proposed work. This project will outline goals and expectations for integrating financial literacy components into institutional operations. Some helpful questions to consider while drafting your plan are:

What are the objectives of your project?
How does the project relate to the goals of your institution and to this year symposium’s theme—Institutionalizing Approaches to Student Success?
How are students learning about college and real-world costs?
What are some identifiable funding sources and pre-existing resources that will help sustain financial literacy efforts?

(Note: For examples, please refer to the Financial Literacy Plans section.)

Is there a registration fee?
No. All expenses for the three team members will be covered. Upon acceptance, teams will be contacted by USA Funds® to coordinate airfare, hotel, and other related-expenses.

How do I apply to attend?
Interested campuses may apply through our online event registration system. Before applying, institutions should determine three (3) senior-level administrators to serve on the team.

When will my team know if we have been accepted?
All registrants will be notified of their status by Jan. 4, 2011.