Managing your finances can be a daunting task at any age. In hopes of giving local teens a leg up, Brock is teaching them how to balance their books before they reach university.

On Thursday, May 23, Brock welcomed Grade 10 students from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines for its second Financial Literacy Day. The free event featured speakers from the Credit Counselling Society and the University’s Student Awards and Financial Aid office.

Brock University Student Financial Services Officer Brian Scriver spoke to local high school students about managing money in post-secondary and the costs of attending university.

Through a series of presentations and interactive games, students learned saving tips and tricks; how to manage money and build credit; as well as the costs and funding options for post-secondary education.

“This is stuff they don’t really teach in schools,” said Grade 10 student Austin White. “I’ve learned a little bit from my parents because I have a part-time job, but today I learned a lot, like how to track expenses so you don’t go into debt.”

White’s classmate, Moustafa Mohamad, was interested in learning more about funding options such as student awards, loans, lines of credit and OSAP.

“It can be difficult, especially if you’re not in a great financial situation, to support yourself through university,” Mohamad said. “I need all the information I can get. Learning about student loans, how to control credit and get a great credit score was very valuable.”

Brock Student Financial Services Officer Audrianna Kervoelen said that financial barriers are among the top reasons why students don’t graduate university.

“Post-secondary education is an investment,” she said. “We want to educate students while they’re still in high school so they can mentally and physically prepare for their future. When they enter university with a better understanding of financial well-being, literacy and knowledge, they’re more likely to continue their studies and graduate.”

More than 75 Grade 10 students from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines visited Brock University Thursday, May 23 to learn about financial literacy, a skill not often taught formally in high schools or post-secondary.