FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 25, 2021
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University today announced Texan Smart — an educational focus on financial wellness and well-being — as its Quality Enhancement Plan for 2021-2026.
The QEP is part of Tarleton’s spring 2021 reaffirmation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
“Texan Smart will provide students the know-how and confidence they need to be financially fit today and long after they graduate,” said Dr. Karen Murray, Tarleton Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The sooner we can prepare our students for real-world financial scenarios, the better.
Research by the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission shows that college students often underestimate the amount of student loan debt they incur, have concerns about their ability to repay, struggle with substantial credit card debt, and may even engage in high-rate, high-risk borrowing.
“Money plays a critical role in our lives, and not having enough of it impacts health as well as academic performance,” Murray said. “Texan Smart resources and programs will put our students on the path toward long-lasting financial wellness.”
Tarleton Texans are ready for the new QEP to begin.
“I pay for college myself and look at it as an investment in my future,” said Andrea Ortiz, a first-time-in-college student seeking to become a bilingual elementary school teacher. “I think Texan Smart will help me learn more about gaining access to needed resources.”
Jenae Williams, a biomedical pre-dental sophomore, said she was “caught off guard” regarding expenses associated with attending college. “Texan Smart is a great way to help students learn how to navigate the financial side of getting a college education,” she said. “I’m ready to get started.
Texan Smart emerged from a two-year, two-phase strategic planning process that began in spring 2018 and included myriad Tarleton stakeholders from all locations — administrators, faculty and staff, current students and alumni.
For more information, visit www.tarleton.edu/qep/. The program launches this week with a social media campaign (@TexanSmart).
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 14,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
Contact: Dr. Laurie Sharp, Executive Director for Strategic Academic Initiatives
254-968-9573
[email protected]
