Personal Financial Education Program Hosts Largest Be Money Smart! Week in History

The University of Texas at Arlington Personal Financial Education Program held its third “Be Money Smart!” financial education event at various locations around campus from April 14 to April 18, 2025.

The Personal Financial Education Program is an on-campus initiative dedicated to equipping students and the broader community with essential financial knowledge and skills. Their mission empowers individuals to make informed personal financial decisions while transforming lives through the pursuit of financial wellness.

One way of accomplishing their mission is through the yearly “Be Money Smart!” Week event which invites business partners and campus organizations to teach students, faculty and community members how to be financially responsible, save money, and invest in their future.

“Be Money Smart! Week is UTA’s own curated Financial Education Week. It is primarily set up to provide a much-needed personal financial perspective for students and community members,” said Dr. Ramya Aroul, Personal Financial education Program director. “Although we may not be able to provide them with every tool required to be financially stable, we can provide them with skills to attain the tools they need to set themselves up for the future.”

Students in one of several workshops hosted throughout Be Money Smart Week. (Photo by Jalen Larry)

During the week, participants take part in 45 workshops and two panels led by business partners and campus organizations. These workshops encompass a variety of topics including car buying, budgeting, investing, financing, and more.

“This year, we reached out to plenty of different people and organizations around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and cast a wide net. We now have 45 workshops and a couple of panels that will give our attendees well rounded knowledge,” said Aroul. “A lot of our workshops are also led by organizations like the Student Society of Real Estate and the Finance society to give our students connections to the resources we already have on campus.”

Along with campus activities, the Personal Financial Education Program conducts budgeting and financial workshops at community colleges and local high schools around the DFW metroplex to ensure students in every level of education receive the skills they need to be financially healthy. 

“The first four days of the week, we stay on campus, but on the fifth day, we go to high schools around the area. We also go to Dallas County College, though that event is a full day and will occur later in the month because of the turnout there,” said Aroul. 

By taking “Be Money Smart!” Week to high schools and community colleges, the information spread through the event extends far beyond the walls of UTA. 

This year’s “Be Money Smart!” Week event is the largest the Personal Financial Education Program has conducted so far, and the results are striking.

Students gather in the lobby of the Engineering Building for Be Money Smart Week programming. (Photo by Jalen Larry)

“Every time we run this event, our sponsors and speakers want to come back. The first year we had 13 banks send representatives to speak at workshops, and those 13 banks have never gone out, and we’ve only grown,” said Aroul. “Our partners always come back because of the students. My favorite part of the event is seeing the faces of the students as they leave the workshops. Seeing how happy they look and some lingering around to ask presenters more questions. When I see that, I always know the workshops were worth it.”

Aroul says that the information given to students during the event goes beyond individual growth and personal finances.

“I’ve always taught business, finance and advanced courses, so this type of knowledge is very close to my heart. Every person who attends a workshops or panel at “Be Money Smart!” Week isn’t just taking the information for themselves,” said Aroul. “They’re taking that information for their families, for their future generations and for their community. The information is for everyone.”