Santa Fe College and VyStar Credit Union Open Financial Wellness Center

September 7, 2021

September 7, 2021 - Santa Fe College and VyStar Credit Union announced a wide-ranging partnership geared toward students that includes a new Financial Wellness Center on SF's Northwest Campus.

Beginning with the fall semester, SF students have access to a variety of free financial wellness resources, including confidential financial wellness consultations. A VyStar employee will be on campus each week to offer counseling related to topics such as planning, budgeting, saving, avoiding and managing debt, improving credit scores, negotiating, purchasing, investing and retiring. Virtual appointments are also available.

"One of our most significant responsibilities as a credit union is to spread financial wellness in the communities we serve, especially among young adults who are learning to create good financial habits," said VyStar President/CEO Brian Wolfburg. "We are proud to bring our educational resources to a vibrant campus and look forward to working with Santa Fe College to support their students."

"This Financial Wellness Center is critical to giving our students the knowledge and skills they will need to handle their finances," said SF President Paul Broadie II, Ph.D. "I am excited to see what our partnership with VyStar Credit Union can do to offer the support and guidance that will be essential to helping our students gain financial independence."

Click here to learn more about the on-campus Financial Wellness Center.

Highlights of the partnership include:

• Financial wellness coaching is available at the SF VyStar Wellness Center, which is located in Building S, Room 250 on SF's Northwest Campus. Hours are 8-10:30 a.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, and 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 352-395-3602 or emailing vystar@sfcollege.edu.

• In conjunction with SF Student Life and the Financial Wellness Committee, VyStar will hold a series of financial education workshops.

• VyStar will offer more than 40 financial education presentations. These presentations are free to SF students and can be accessed here.

• VyStar will donate $20,000 per year to the Santa Fe College Foundation throughout the agreement.

• A VyStar ATM will be located at SF's expanded Blount Center, which is slated to open in January 2022 at 401 NW 6th St. in Gainesville.

"The Santa Fe College-VyStar collaboration is a game-changer for our students," said Dr. Naima Brown, Vice President for Student Affairs at SF. "As we help students reach their educational goals, we are also equipping them with the tools needed to be engaged, proactive and responsible in the area of financial wellness. This is a key component of social and economic mobility. I expect that there will be a significant impact."

VyStar has a longstanding commitment to spreading financial wellness to members of all ages. The credit union's High School Branch Program, which began in 2006 to bring financial education to high school students, now has 18 branches across Northeast Florida. Similarly, VyStar@Work was created in 2018 to bring credit union services into the community and meet people where they are on their financial journeys. The program offers valuable knowledge as well as credit union services to businesses, underserved populations and people who may otherwise never visit a branch.

"We are excited to collaborate with Santa Fe College to offer curriculum and resources that provide real value to students now and as they prepare for the future," said Michael Rathjen, Vice President of VyStar's High School Branch Program. "With a strong foundation, there is no limit to what they can achieve." For additional information, please visit www.sfcollege.edu/vystar.