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May 2019 Newsletter

RAISE Texas News

It is never too late for YOU to Join the Movement!

RAISE Texas celebrated its 10 year Anniversary last year. Thanks to our network, Texas has growing opportunities for people to save, take advantage of financial coaching services, find affordable and safe small dollar loan products, and a deepened discussion of financial capability on the local, state and national level. But there is much to be done. And we hope you will join us! YOUR membership will increase our success, and all of you are an essential part of our work around the state.

Membership is easy and affordable, starting at as little as $100 for a Basic Nonprofit Membership. Join the RAISE Texas Network today!

Texas News

Texas Statewide Financial Coaching Hub is Coming to Austin!

The Texas Statewide Financial Coaching Hub was officially launched in December 2018 at the RAISE Texas 10th Anniversary Summit. This two-part platform will help to expand opportunities for Texans to receive high-quality financial coaching services throughout our state by providing a comprehensive financial coaching training for service providers, and continuing support through regional Huddle meetings, financial coach networking, webinars, and more! If you are located in Austin and are interested in the financial coaching training or the financial coach support services, please email Lauren Gates at Lgates@raisetexas.org for more information.

Looking to take your Financial Counseling skills to the next level?

Become an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®)! The AFC® is housed through AFCPE: www.afcpe.org/. To obtain the AFC® there is an educational requirement, which you can receive through the AFC® Distance Learning Program (online) by Texas Tech University.

Summer 2019, Texas Tech will be offering online courses that satisfy the educational requirement for the AFC® exam. You can complete the courses in 8 weeks. Deadline to register for the summer course is May 21st (there are future class dates). To learn more about costs (they do offer group rates) and to register. click here.

National News

Funding Opportunity for Research on Youth Financial Education

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is issuing a call for research proposals on youth financial education. Subcontracts of up to $25,000 will be awarded to pay for proposed research, a paper, and a brief summary of the research and travel to the symposium in Washington, DC in early 2020. Research must be relevant to the CFPB’s Youth Financial Education Research Priorities. Proposals are due on May 31, 2019. Click here for more information.

Pervasive Racial Disparities in the Workplace Contributes to the Racial Wealth Gap

The Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) and The Worker’s Lab recently released a report which reveals that racial disparities in the workplace are a key contributor to the racial wealth gap. “Not Only Unequal Paychecks: Occupational Segregation, Benefits, and the Racial Wealth Gap” finds that persistent occupational segregation by race and ethnicity lead to a reality in which employees of color face barriers to quality jobs and wealth-building opportunities at work. These inequalities have long-term impact on the financial security of the employees and their families. Read the report here.

Blog: How to Help Students Find the True Price of College

New America shared important information in their blog post, “How to Help Students Find the True Price of College”. It turns out that colleges aren’t making costs easier to understand but instead seem to be making it more complicated to figure out how much it costs to attend college. Not only is the information unclear, one study found that nearly half of undergraduates couldn’t accurately identify how much debt they incurred for college. The Net Price Calculator Improvement Act was reintroduced to improve the transparency and accuracy around estimated prices. Click here to read the entire post.