The Financial Planning program at The University of Georgia offers several unique opportunities and resources for the UGA and Athens communities. Below are some of the ways we can assist you for free with your financial needs.
Love and Money Center
The LMC is a unique, holistic training clinic that provides graduate and undergraduate students from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences with an opportunity to participate in applying classroom knowledge to a real-world setting. The LMC offers holistic counseling and education services to UGA students, staff, and faculty and Athens area community members. Common areas of assistance include loan or debt management, budgeting, tax planning, investment education, retirement plans, and more.
Visit the Love and Money Center website to learn about our offerings and how to make an appointment.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for Clients
VITA, a collaboration with Georgia United Credit Union and other nonprofit agencies, provide Athens area residents with free income tax assistance. From January to April, you can get your tax return prepared at no cost by our financial planning student volunteers, supervised by faculty.
Clinics: If you are interested in offering VITA services at your facility, review our resources or contact Lance Palmer.
Research Services
We are proud to have some of the top financial planning researchers in the country as part of our faculty. Our department has contributed to numerous studies on risk tolerance, financial attitudes, financial literacy, savings behavior, financial therapy, and other relevant topics. Our research continues to grow as our department advances.
If you would like to use our research resources for a financial study, contact Dr. John Grable
Financial Planning Academy
Financial Planning Academy, developed by Texas Tech University and funded by Charles Schwab Foundation, is a week-long summer program that offers rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors education and training in the core areas of personal financial management. It will include working on a financial planning case study, developing a financial plan, and participating in other competitions for scholarships and prizes. In addition to promoting financial literacy among America's youth, the camp will provide insight into the Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) industry and show students the value of financial planning as a profession.
Interested in this summer program? Click here.
Money Dawgs Summer Youth Camp
Discover the secrets surrounding money, personal financial decision making, and investing during a week-long camp taught by our graduate students. Kids will have fun learning how to get the most out of money Each day is filled with hands-on games, funny stories, interesting facts, and a variety of activities such as watching, learning, and critiquing financial behaviors as shown on television and the movies. Field trips include visiting financial institutions, participating in a bank search in downtown Athens, and shopping for food, fun, and bargains in local stores. At the end of this week, the kids will know more about the secrets of money than many adults!
Discovering Money Solutions
Our financial support services make your financial goals a reality. As part of Project F.R.E.E., parents can learn how to build and manage financial resources effectively to support their families. Topics include financial institutions, spending, savings, investments, credit, debt, and financial goal-setting. The program meets once a week for 2 hours over the course of 3 weeks.
If you are interested in participating in Discovering Money Solutions, contact Project F.R.E.E.