Playbook

How to Leverage FYE Courses to Drive Financial Readiness

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Minutes per module to reinforce readiness

Course touchpoints across term

Actions students complete per unit

Personal financial plan students carry forward

Why FYE Is the Best Place for Financial Readiness

University 101 and Core 101 are designed to help students navigate the transition into college with stronger habits, clearer expectations, and access to support. Financial obligations often become one of the biggest barriers in the first term, yet most students receive financial information without a structured way to act on it. This playbook shows how institutions use FYE courses to turn financial wellness into measurable readiness through guided plans and real student actions.

Turn Financial Wellness Into Action and Progress

Instead of completing a one-time lesson, students use Arbol to build a personal financial plan over time. Each unit includes short guided steps that help students clarify obligations, complete key actions, and connect to support pathways early. This creates follow-through, reduces overwhelm, and helps students stay on track through the first billing cycle and beyond.

Faculty Don’t Need to Teach Finance

FYE instructors should not be expected to become experts in financial aid, billing processes, or personal finance. Arbol provides structured guidance and student-friendly actions, while instructors focus on reflection, accountability, and helping students build readiness habits. The result is an academically appropriate integration that supports student success outcomes without adding faculty burden.

Implementation Timeline

This approach integrates into FYE courses as a lightweight, repeatable set of modules. Students complete short actions throughout the term, and staff gain early visibility into students who are stalled or facing financial barriers.

1. Course Setup
Add modules to syllabus.
2. Student Baseline Plan
Students build their plan.
3. Weekly Progress Actions
Students complete key steps.
4. Support Pathway Connection
Students connect to help early.
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What Students Complete Through the Course

In short, guided course modules, students complete key steps that build financial readiness and reduce overwhelm during the first term. Each step helps students apply what they learn in class to real financial obligations, and ensures they know what actions to take and where to go for support before small issues become barriers.

  • Clarify Financial Obligations and Deadlines
    Students identify key obligations (billing, housing, aid) and the timelines that matter most.

  •  Build a Personal Financial Plan
    Students create a plan they can revisit and update throughout the semester.

  • Complete Key Readiness Actions
    Students complete 2–3 practical steps tied to the course modules.

  • Connect to Support Pathways
    Students learn how to access help from Financial Aid, the Bursar, Housing, and Student Success teams.

  • Strengthen Habits for Follow-Through
    Students build routines for checking progress, staying on track, and asking for help early.

I liked that this wasn’t just information. I actually made a plan and knew what I needed to do before my bill was due. It made the first semester feel less overwhelming.

Charlan B.
First-Year Student

What Success Looks Like

Success shows up in completion, follow-through, and earlier help-seeking behavior. Institutions can track student progress and identify common barriers early in the term, strengthening both the student experience and retention.

Metrics list:

  • Module completion rate

  • Plan completion progress

  • Action follow-through rate

  • Earlier support utilization

  • Reduced early-term holds

  • Improved readiness confidence

Ready to get started?

Talk to an Arbol Expert

Want to explore how this can fit into University 101 or Core 101? An Arbol expert can share proven module structures, syllabus language, and simple faculty workflows that make financial readiness measurable without adding instructional burden.

  • Module + assignment templates
  • Faculty facilitation guide
  • Student reflection prompts
  • Support pathway mapping
  • Outcomes reporting metrics
Schedule a strategy call

Who This Is For

Best fit for teams that:

  • Lead FYE programming

  • Teach University 101

  • Support first-year success

  • Improve student readiness

  • Strengthen early intervention


Talk to an Arbol expert