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Volume 13
Issue 2
Fall 2009

A n E c o n o m i c E d u c at i o n Ne w s l e t t e r f r o m t h e Fe d e r a l Re s e r v e B a n k S t. L o u i s

As College Costs Rise,
Student Loans Are Harder to Find
High school students planning for college can look forward to multiple
questions—and not just those they might confront on standardized tests.
In addition to getting into college, students and their families
have to figure out how much college will cost, and how to pay for it.

What’s Your
Question?
First Aid on
Financial Aid

Economic
Snapshot
Second Quarter Data

Bulletin Board
Pig E. Bank
Economics
It’s Your Paycheck

Resources
Cards, Cars
and Currency

Understanding college costs, and navigating their way through the many sources of
financial aid, can seem as daunting as any
term paper, and the nation’s recent credit
crisis has made the task even more challenging. This article addresses those challenges,
focusing on the financial needs of collegebound students, from what makes up the
overall cost to what types of student loans
are available, as well as the rising cost of
college and the impact of the credit crisis on
student loans.

The Overall Cost of College
The expense of attending college extends
far beyond tuition and fees. Typical costs
also include room and board, books and
supplies, transportation and other miscellaneous expenses.
The share of a student’s overall college
costs represented by each of these categories of expense varies by type of institution
(private or public, two-year or four-year) and
whether a student attends an in-state or
out–of-state school. According to a 200708 College Board survey, published tuition
and fees constitute 67 percent of the total

expenses for students enrolled in a four-year
private college. This compares with 60 percent for out-of-state students enrolled in a
public college, 36 percent for in-state public
students and 17 percent for students attending a public two-year college.

Paying for College
College students choose from a variety of
options to pay for the overall costs of their
higher education. According to a 2008
Sallie Mae-Gallup study, parents pick up the
largest portion, paying 48 percent of the
overall cost. On average, a student covers
33 percent of the cost himself or herself,
using income, savings and loans. Grants
and scholarships account for an average of
15 percent, with support from friends and
relatives making up the rest.
The study, which involved interviewing
hundreds of families with college-aged
students during the 2007–08 academic year,
provides further detail about the source
of the funding. Of the 48 percent parents
contribute, 32 percent comes from income
continued on Page 2

www.stlouisfed.org/education
T h e f e d e r a l r e s e r v e ba n k o f s t. l o u i s : Ce n t r a l t o A m e r i c a ’ s e c o n o m y ™

College Costs
continued from Page 1

and savings and 16 percent from loans. Not surprising, perhaps, students’ contribution is weighted
differently—only 10 percent comes from income and
savings, with 23 percent coming from loans. Overall,
then, students and their parents pay for a significant
share of the cost of college—close to 40 percent—
by borrowing money. The types of borrowing that
parents and students typically use include private and
public educational loans, home equity loans, credit
cards, other types of loans and withdrawals from
retirement accounts.

Types of Loans for Education

The sources of funding families choose also vary
with the family’s level of income.
On average, higher-income families—those with
income of $100,000 or more—pay a greater share
of college costs with income and savings than do
middle- and lower-income families. Middle-income
families—those with income between $50,000 and
$100,000—rely on loans for a larger share of their
college costs than higher- or lower-income families.
Lower-income families, on average, obtain scholarships and grants for a greater share of their college
costs than the other two groups.

Federal student loans are the most common
educational loans students and their families use to
finance higher education. These loans typically have
lower interest rates than other types of loans, with
no credit check or collateral required. They come in
two basic forms—the Stafford loan and the Perkins
loan. Each is available for both undergraduate and
graduate students. Perkins loans are always subsidized by the federal government, whereas Stafford
loans can be both subsidized or unsubsidized. Stafford loans are more widely used; Perkins loans are
meant for students in extreme financial need.

©2007 iStockphoto

The Sallie Mae-Gallup study reaffirms the importance of loans for many families, for whom savings
and income alone typically are not enough to pay for
all college costs. While students and their parents
use many types of loans to pay for college, this article
focuses on educational loans. Educational loans can
be divided into three broad categories: federal student loans (Stafford and Perkins), private education
loans and parent loans.

2

Private education loans are another source of
funding available to students. Private lenders commonly use students’ credit scores when issuing
these loans, which are often used when federal loan
amounts are not enough to pay for costs.
Parents also take out education loans for their
dependent children in the form of the Parent Loan
for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Loans through
this federal program can be used to cover any costs
not already met by the student’s financial aid package.

Figure 1. Comparing Education Inflation with Total Inflation

8
7
6
5

Who are the Lenders?

4

Both the government and financial institutions
provide funding for student loans. Financial institutions—banks, credit unions, thrifts and other lenders,
including a variety of nonprofit organizations formed
specifically to make student loans in different
states—participate in student lending either by making student loans directly or by providing the funds
for federal loans such as Stafford and PLUS through
the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program.
According to the web site www.FinAid.org, there are
over 2,000 education lenders nationwide, although
most of the volume comes from the top 50 lenders.
That top 50 includes most of the big banks, as well as
several nonprofit organizations. Sallie Mae, once a government entity but now private, is the largest lender.

3

The Rising Cost of College
In the last 10 years, the cost of higher education
has risen faster than the cost of the “market basket”
of goods, a list of common consumer goods and
services whose prices are used to form the consumer price index and thus track the rate of inflation.
Figure 1 shows the year-over-year increase in the U.S.
Consumer Price Index for education and the total
market basket of goods. The cost of education has
risen at an average rate of 4.5 to 7.5 percent annually
since 1998, outpacing the range of 1 percent to 5.5
percent for overall inflation during that period.
Figure 2, from a College Board survey, illustrates
the rising trend of college costs for both public and
private four-year colleges over time in constant 2008
dollar terms. The costs included in these trends are
tuition expenses, fees and boarding costs. The cost
for private institutions has risen at a faster pace than
for public institutions over the last 30 years. The
average published cost at four-year private institutions for the 2008-09 academic year was $34,132,
compared with a cost of $15,434 in the 1978-1979

2
1
0
1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Education Inflation (CPI)

2007

2008

Total Inflation (CPI)

Figure 2. The Average Cost of a Four-Year College Program
$60,000
$50,000
$40,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
$0
78-79

81-82

84-85

87-88

Private Four-Year
SOURCE: Sallie Mae/Gallup

continued on Page 4

3

90-91

93-94

96-97

99-00

02-03

05-06

Public Four-Year

08-09

College Costs
continued from Page 3

academic year. The cost for a four-year public school,
on the other hand, was much lower: $14,333 in 2008-09.
College costs have risen steeply since the 2000-01
academic year, especially at public institutions. The
costs have risen by a total of 33 percent, even after
adjusting for inflation over this eight-year period.
These rising costs put a huge burden on students,
especially in today’s slow economy.
(Sources: Annual Survey of Colleges, the College
Board, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics)

Impact of the Financial Crisis on
Student Loans
The current financial crisis has presented extraordinary
challenges for families with college-bound students.
As noted earlier, savings and personal borrowing,
on the part of parents and students, account for the
largest share of higher education financing. But as
the overall credit market has tightened, loan volume
has dropped sharply. (One study notes that 60 private
lenders originated $19 billion in personal loans in
2008; by the end of January 2009, 39 of these lenders
had stopped lending and the rest had tightened their
lending standards.) Borrowing by parents, especially
through home equity lines of credit, has diminished
significantly as house prices have dropped. Bank
lending to consumers for personal expenses, such as
college, has also slowed down.
As a result of this contraction, the Department of
Education has seen a 10 percent increase in federal
student aid applications. This trend led Congress to

Resources Available to Students

introduce legislation in 2008 to keep college financing channels open for families with college-bound
students. President George W. Bush signed the
legislation into law as the Ensuring Continued Access
to Student Loans Act (ECASLA) on May 7, 2008.
ECASLA contains a variety of measures designed
to ensure higher education financing during the current turmoil in financial markets. The measures are
anchored by a loan buyback program, in which the
Department of Education buys back federal education loans from private lenders in order to inject
liquidity into student loan credit markets. The buyback program targets Federal Family Education Loans
(FFELs), which include the popular Stafford and PLUS
federal loan programs.
FFELs have been quite popular in the past. For
example, during the 2007-08 academic year, 7.5 million students and their families took advantage of
this type of financing, totaling roughly $91.8 billion.
However, in early- to mid-2008, this market dried up,
with major private lenders ceasing to make FFELs
because they weren’t profitable. The loan buyback
program was seen as an essential vehicle to get
credit flowing in this market again. Subsequent to
the initial passage of ECASLA, President Bush signed
a one-year extension on ECASLA’s loan buyback provisions so that the Department of Education could
buy back FFELs through mid-2010.
ECASLA also increased the unsubsidized Stafford
loan limit by $2,000. Furthermore, the bill increased
the scope of the Academic Competitiveness Grant
(ACG) and the National Science & Mathematics
Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART) so that

• www.college.gov (Department of Education web site,
the “go to” source for information on post-secondary
education)

Many resources are available for students and families
seeking funding help for college. Government agencies,
nonprofit organizations and private institutions provide a
wealth of free information on the internet regarding student loans, costs, lenders and planning tools. Students and
parents should be able to find the information they need to
plan and pay for college on the following web sites:

• www.finaid.org (a comprehensive web site on student
loans, scholarships, aid and useful links)
• www.collegeboard.com (information on colleges,
standardized testing and financial aid from a nonprofit
organization)
• www.nchelp.org (a network of financial institutions and
schools providing information on the FFEL program)

• http://fafsa.ed.gov (federal student aid web site offering online application for federal student loans)

• www.students.gov (U.S. government web site providing links to other government resources for students
and parents)

4

students who had already been receiving federally
funded Pell Grants could avail themselves of these
additional funding sources. In addition, ECASLA gives
parents the option to defer repayment of PLUS loans
until six months after the student finishes at least
part-time enrollment at an institution of higher education. The bill also expands eligibility for PLUS loans to
parents who are delinquent on medical or mortgage
payments. Further, ECASLA allows the Department of
Education to designate institutions for Lender of Last
Resort (LLR) loans upon approval from the Secretary
of Education, which increases the ability of individual
schools to expand student loan access.

Although the ECASLA legislation is a positive first
step in ensuring credit for families with collegebound students, federal lawmakers and the administration of President Obama may need to revisit this
issue as weakness in the financial sector continues.
Rajeev Bhaskar and Yadav Gopalan are research associates at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

We asked college grads for budget advice they could offer incoming freshmen
Where to live
Go local. If you have a public university near you, you
can live at home. Dorms and apartments are costly. If you
go away to school, live in the cheapest dorm. This is usually
the one with the small rooms and the common bathroom
down the hall. The lack of privacy can be a good thing—
you certainly get to know the people around you. Because
they were likely the first built on campus, they are located
closer to the classroom buildings. This cuts down on
transportation costs.

inevitably park in the wrong places. Our grads noted that
there is usually someone going where you want to go, and
all you have to do is offer to help with the gas.
Books and supplies
The message from the graduates was “buy used.” It’s much
cheaper and the used copies sometimes include beneficial
notes from the previous owner. If you miss the used books
at the campus bookstore, try half.com, amazon.com, craigslist
or other online vendors. If you belong to campus organizations, ask the other members if they’ve taken the course you
will be taking and then offer to buy or borrow their book.

How to eaT
If you choose a meal plan, be realistic. Your parents want
you to have a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner, so they
will choose the 21 meal/week plan. You, on the other hand,
may choose to eat in the dining hall only 10 times each week.
Switch your plan as soon as you can. If you have money or
meals left over at the end of the plan period, spend it on
snacks or fruit at the campus store. Use it or lose it.
If your school offers only a debit card for you to use with
meals, be sure to keep track of each expense. Especially on
campus, it is very easy to overspend at the coffee shop and
the vending machines.
Get a job in the dining hall. Employees usually eat for
free during their shifts. You can eat and earn money!

How to spend your summers
The consensus was to take at least one summer course.
There were lots of good reasons, but the financial reason is
that it might get you out a semester early, or it will reduce
your load during your last semester or two for the allimportant job hunt. That lighter load might also help you
boost your g.p.a. just in time for the labor market scrutiny.
Some of those summer courses can be taken at the community college, a cheaper alternative. A good alternative is
a paid internship, which helps you gain college credit, work
experience and great references.
Best advice
Get only one credit card and use it only in an emergency.
Be careful with the debit card, too. Use cash. Don’t be
tempted by the vending machines and the coffee shop.
Save money whenever you can.

How to get around
If you live on or near campus, a car is likely not necessary. Sure, it’s a great convenience, but you will pay for gas,
maintenance, a parking permit and parking fines when you

5

glossary

Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACG) are grants awarded to
students who can demonstrate that they completed a rigorous
high school program of study before enrolling in college. Eligible
students receive up to $750 for their first year of college, and $1,300
for the second year if they also maintain a 3.0 grade point average
in college. The grant is awarded to students over and above any
other grants or scholarships.

Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is a federal loan
program that allows parents of dependent undergraduate students
to borrow money to cover any expenses related to a student’s college attendance. The amount borrowed can be up to the full cost
of attendance.
Perkins Loan is a federal loan available to undergraduate students
who have extreme financial need at any one of the approximately
1,800 colleges and universities that participate in the Federal Perkins Loan Program. The amount of the loan is limited to $4,000
per academic year.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the prices paid by
urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and
services.
Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act (ECASLA) is an act

National Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grants
(SMART) are grants that can fund up to $4,000 of the third and

signed by President George W. Bush on May 7, 2008, designed to
keep college financing channels open for families with collegebound children. It contains a variety of measures to ensure
higher education financing is available during the current market
conditions. It allows the Department of Education to buy back
federal education loans from private lenders. It increases the
unsubsidized Stafford Loan limit by $2,000, increases the scope
of the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and the National
Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART),
gives parents the option to defer repayment of PLUS loans until
six months after the student finishes at least part-time enrollment,
expands eligibility for PLUS loans to parents who are delinquent
on medical or mortgage payments and allows the Department of
Education to designate institutions for Lender of Last Resort (LLR)
loans, which increases the ability of individual schools to expand
student loan access.

fourth academic years for college students who show promise in
math, physical and life sciences, technology, engineering or foreign
language. To qualify for a SMART grant, students must already be
a Pell grant recipient and maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average on a full-time degree path in one of the approved majors at
an accredited four-year college. In addition, recipients must take
courses in their major during each term they are subsidized by the
SMART grant.
Stafford Loan (Subsidized) is a federal loan available to students

Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) is a category of loans that
includes both the Stafford and Plus federal loan programs.

who demonstrate sufficient financial need. The amount available
through this program ranges from $2,625 to $18,500 per academic
year, depending on factors that include an individual students’
financial status and student status (year in school and number
of academic years remaining). The federal government pays the
interest on these loans while the student is in school and during
any grace periods or deferment periods when the student is no
longer in school.

Federal Pell Grants are examples of financial aid money that a stu-

Stafford Loan (Unsubsidized) is a federal loan available for which

dent does not have to repay. Pell grants usually are awarded only
to undergraduate students who have not yet earned a bachelor’s
or professional degree. The amount of the grant to a particular
student is determined by the student’s financial need, college
costs and enrollment status. The maximum available amount of
the grant can vary from year to year; for the 2009-10 academic
year the maximum possible amount of the Pell grant is $5,350.

students do not have to demonstrate financial need. Like the
subsidized Stafford Loan, the available amount ranges from $2,625
to $18,500. Students obtaining unsubsidized Stafford Loans are
responsible for all interest payments during the life of the loan,
including interest that accumulates while the student is still in
school. If a student chooses not to begin repayment during the
time he or she is in school, the interest that accumulates is capitalized—it is added to the principal amount of the loan and will have
to be repaid at the higher interest rate.

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a
grant available to low-income, undergraduate students. Priority
in awarding these grants is given to students determined to have
“exceptional need”—those with the lowest expected family contributions as determined by the FAFSA (see Q&A). The amount of
FSEOG grants ranges from $100 to $4,000 per academic year.

6

what ’s your question?

First Aid on Financial Aid
Q. What is “financial need”?
A. Financial need is the difference between the cost
of attendance for a student going to college and the
amount the student and his or her family is expected
to contribute toward that cost. (The terms “Financial
Need,” “Cost of Attendance (COA)” and “Expected
Family Contribution” are commonly used during
the financial aid application process.) If the amount
of college aid a student receives doesn’t fund the
student’s entire financial need, the student and his or
her family must make up the difference.
Q. What is “cost of attendance”?
A. The cost of attendance, also referred to as the
student expense budget, is the annual cost of attending college for a particular student. The cost of
attendance includes tuition, books, fees, room and
board, transportation, and out-of-pocket expenses.
The cost of attendance for a particular student is
used to determine that student’s financial need.
Q. What are the requirements for a student to be
eligible for student aid?

Q. After I filed a FAFSA form I received a Student
Aid Report (SAR). What is the purpose of the
report?
A. After receiving a completed financial aid application from a student, the government produces a
Student Aid Report, which indicates the student’s
expected family contribution (EFC). The government
sends the expected family contribution to the colleges requested by the student.
Q. How do I know how much financial aid I am
getting from my college or university?
A. Colleges and universities notify students of
their financial aid packages directly, by sending an
award letter to the student. The award letter details
the configuration of the financial aid package the
school is offering and also includes any requirements
attached to the financial aid offer.
Q. What is a grant?
A. A grant is money provided to a student that does
not have to be repaid.
continued on Page 8

A. To be eligible to receive federally funded college
aid, a student must be a United States citizen or legal
resident. In some states, non-citizens may receive
assistance through state funds to attend college.
Q. What is FAFSA?
A. FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid, the application form that students and their
parents fill out at the beginning of the financial
aid application process. Along with the completed
application, which is available online at www.FAFSA.
ed.gov, students and their parents submit income tax
forms when applying for financial aid. The information on the FAFSA is used to determine the amount a
student can afford to pay for college. It is important
for students and their parents to complete the form
as soon as possible after Jan. 1 of each year, because
federal funds for college financial aid are awarded on
a first-come, first-awarded basis.

© iStockphoto, Lisa Klumpp

7

what ’s your question?

What’s Your Question?

Q. What types of private loans are available?

continued from Page 7

A. In addition to federal student loan programs,
students and their parents may seek money from private loans. Such loans may come from banks, credit
unions, life insurance policies or home equity loans.
Whether student or parent, an individual borrowing a private loan must qualify for the loan by being
credit worthy; the lender will establish the terms of
the loan, with the interest rate dependent on the
borrower’s credit history.

Q. What is merit-based aid?
A. Merit-based aid is any form of financial aid
awarded on the basis of a student’s personal achievement or individual characteristics, without reference
to financial need. Merit-based financial aid awards
are also known as scholarships. Much merit-based
aid is awarded based on grade point averages and
national test scores, such as scores on the Scholastic
Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test
(ACT).
Q. Can students and their families use loans to
pay for college?
A. Many students and their parents use loans to pay
for part of the costs of attending college. Some of
the loans come from federal loan programs specifically for college; students and their parents also
obtain private loans from a variety of sources.
Q. What are federal loan programs?
A. Federal loan programs allow students to borrow
money to help pay for their college expenses. Loans
obtained through federal loan programs may come
either directly from the federal government or from
a private lender. Students obtaining loans through
federal loan programs must repay both the principal
(the amount borrowed) and interest (fees charged
for borrowing the money). The interest rate charged
for federal loans is often lower than that charged for
loans from other sources.
Q. What types of federal loans are there?
A. There are several different types of federal student loans: the Stafford Loan (subsidized), Stafford
Loan (unsubsidized), Federal Perkins Loan and Federal Parent Plan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
loans. Brief information about each of these types of
loans is included in the glossary.

8

Q. What are work-study programs?
A. Work-study programs are campus-based
programs that provide part-time jobs for
students with financial need. Individual
universities and colleges award a particular
amount of work-study funding and available
work hours to individual students based
on the award amount, class schedule and
academic standing.
Q. What is an endowment?
A. Endowments are private campus-based
funds that come from money given to the
college from private sources, intended for
a variety of purposes. Endowment funds
are often intended to help some students
pay for tuition. Usually private colleges
have these kinds of funds available, whereas
state colleges do not.

economic snapshot

1.

What is a 529 Plan?

Second Quarter 2009

A 529 Plan refers to Section 529 of the Internal
Revenue Code allowing states, state agencies or
educational institutions to sponsor a tax-advantaged
savings plan, legally known as a “qualified tuition
plan.” The two types of 529 Plans include the prepaid tuition plans and college savings plans. Pre-paid
plans allow savers to purchase future “credit hours”
at a reduced price. The savings plans most often
consist of mutual funds chosen from among funds
chosen by the state.
2.

Q1-’09

Growth Rate
Real Gross Domestic Product

–2.7%

–5.4%

–6.4% –1.0%*

Inflation Rate
Consumer Price Index

6.2%

–8.3%

–2.4%

1.3%

Civilian Unemployment Rate

6.1%

6.9%

8.1%

9.3%

Q2-’09

*Second estimate

in a 529 plan are subject to the ups and downs
of the stock market. The money invested is not
insured like money saved in FDIC-insured savings
accounts. There are many fees associated with 529
plans. A 529 plan may be counted among parents’
assets and reduce the financial aid a student might
otherwise have received.

What are some advantages of using a 529 plan?
A 529 Plan offers several investment funds from
which to choose. The saver does not pay taxes on
the money withdrawn from a 529 account when
the money is used to pay for a qualified education
expense. If the saver would ever claim bankruptcy,
money in a 529 plan is protected from creditors,
(with some limitations). Several state plans are
open to savers from other states, so savers can shop
around for the plan that’s best for them.

3.

Q3-’08 Q4-’08

4. What might explain parents’ preference to
save in savings accounts, money market
accounts or CDs?
Parents may want to hold their savings in FDICinsured accounts. They may not be confident that
their child will go to college. Parents may feel 529
plans are too complex, both in choosing the appropriate plan and in the tax treatment.

What are some disadvantages of using a 529 plan?
Money in a 529 plan can only be used for college
expenses; money withdrawn for any other purpose is
subject to taxes and penalties. The investment funds

College Education Saving Vehicles
59%

Savings, Money Market Accounts or CDs
41%

Stocks or Bonds
33%

529 College Savings Plan
Mutual Funds

29%

Retirement Savings Account

29%
18%

Checking Account

14%

College Savings Reward Program
Coverdell Education Savings Account

11%

Pre-Paid or Guaranteed State College Savings Plan

10%

A Trust

9%

Other
© GALLUP. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission from www.SallieMae.com/HowAmericaPays.

25%
0%

20%

9

40%

60%

Percent “Yes”

80%

100%

bulletin board

L ou i s v i lle

M emph i s

Pig E. Bank Economics Workshop

Fiscal Policy: What Does It Mean
for the Economy and Why Does It
Matter to You?

Oct. 14, 2009
4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Evansville, Ind.

P.O. Box 442
St. Louis, MO 63166-0442

How to register: Contact Greg
Valentine at 812-465-1610 or
gvalenti@usi.edu.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

MARY SUITER
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF SAINT LOUIS
PO BOX 442
SAINT LOUIS MO 63166-0442

Pig E. Bank is the lead character
in the St. Louis Fed’s Piggy Bank
Primer lesson series, which
teaches economic and financial
concepts to students in grades K-4.

Nov. 4, 2009
8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Holiday Inn—University of
Memphis
Memphis, Tenn.

FISCAL
POLICY
What Does It
Mean?
Why Does It
Matter?

This one-day conference,
designed for educators in grades
5-12, will cover the role of fiscal
policy in the economy. Robert
Rasche, Executive Vice President
and Senior Policy Adviser at the
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis,
will provide content. Hands-on lessons and activities for
teaching will be featured in breakout sessions.

A Federal Reserve Bank
of St. Louis
Conference for Educators

Nov. 4, 2009

Memphis, Tenn.

PRSRT STD
U.S. PoSTage
PAID
ST. LoUiS, Mo
PeRMiT 444

Econ Camp South
Oct. 20-21, 2009
Princeton, Ind.
Econ Camp is a two-day conference for high school
economics teachers. Learn about concepts identified in
Indiana Economics Standards while sharing best teaching
practices and promoting inclusion of economics in the
high school curriculum.

How to register: Register online at www.stlouisfed.org/
education_resources.

L i t t le R oc k

How to register: Go to www.econed-in.org/econcamps.
asp or contact Greg Valentine at gvalenti@usi.edu.

Economic Summit:
The Greening of the Natural State

Great Depression Workshop

Oct. 26, 2009
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Ark.

Nov. 19, 2009
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Murray, Ky.
If you teach history, economics or government, this
curriculum is perfect for you. The curriculum includes
six stand-alone lessons allowing teachers to select those
lessons most appropriate for their students. The lessons
include simulations, group work and other active strategies
to engage students.
How to register: Contact Patricia Lassiter at 270-293-0284.

10

Going Green is the topic of this summit being held for
economics, business, marketing and science teachers.
Teachers will hear speakers and receive lesson plans and
other resources that will help them teach economics
related to this topic.
How to register: Contact Julie Kerr at 501-324-8296 or
julie.a.kerr@stls.frb.org.

bulletin board

S t. L ou i s
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is partnering with the Cooperating School Districts of
St. Louis to provide content via video conference
for students.

In Plain English:
Jan. 15, 2010
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
What is the Federal Reserve and
what does it do? We can’t wait
to talk to your students about our nation’s central bank—
The Federal Reserve. Certainly you and your students have
some questions. Please join us on Jan. 15.

The Great Depression
April 6, 2010

Kids, Money and Children’s Literature
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Itawamba Community College—Tupelo Campus
Advanced Education Center
Tupelo, Miss.
This one-day professional development workshop is especially
designed for educators in grades
K-6. CEU credit will be awarded to
attendees.
How to register: Call 662-620-5240
or e-mail jeannette.n.bennett@stls.frb.org.

If you are looking for resources for teaching economics or
personal finance, please visit our web site. We have lesson
plans, articles, curricula, online courses and more. Our web
site address is: www.stlouisfed.org/education_resources.

David Wheelock, Vice President and Research Economist
of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis will discuss the
Depression, from this country’s deepest, darkest days to its
escape into a sound and functioning economy.

Are you interested in professional development for yourself, for your school, for your school district? If so, contact:

To register your classroom for a video conference:
Go to http://csdtechpd.wordpress.com or e-mail Rebecca
Morrison at rmorrison@csd.org.

Louisville:
Caryn Rossiter at caryn.j.rossiter@stls.frb.org

Entreprecation: Arkansas Style

St. Louis:
Barb Flowers at barbara.flowers@stls.frb.org

Jan. 26, 2010
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Mosaic Templars, Little Rock, Ark.
The topic for this workshop is African-American entrepreneurs from Arkansas. Integrate economics, Arkansas history and famous Arkansans into your lessons just in time to
celebrate Black History Month in February.
How to register: Contact Julie Kerr at 501-324-8296 or
julie.a.kerr@stls.frb.org.

Little Rock:
Billy Britt at billy.j.britt@stls.frb.org

Memphis:
Jeannette Bennett at jeannette.n.bennett@stls.frb.org

Join Our E-mail List!
All of us would like to have fewer postcards, advertisements and brochures
stuffed in our mailboxes. So, in the spirit of
reducing the clutter on your counter top,
desk, kitchen table, etc., we would like to
contact you by e-mail, whenever practical.
Please go to our web site and join our mailing list. www.stlouisfed.org/education_
resources/subscribe.cfm

11

Bank Contacts
Little Rock
Billy Britt
501-324-8368
Louisville
Caryn Rossiter
502-568-9257
Memphis
Jeannette Bennett
901-579-4104
St. Louis
Mary Suiter
314-444-4662
Barb Flowers
314-444-8421

prsrt std
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
ST. LOUIS, MO
PERMIT NO. 444

P.O. Box 442
St. Louis, MO 63166

Inside the Vault is written
by economic education staff
at the Federal Reserve Bank
of St. Louis, P.O. Box 442,
St. Louis, Mo., 63166.
The views expressed are
those of the authors and are
not necessarily those of the
Federal Reserve Bank of
St. Louis or the Federal
Reserve System. Please direct
all comments and questions
about the publication to 314444-8421 or barbara.flowers@
stls.frb.org.

featured re source s

Cards, Cars and Currency
Cards, Cars and Currency

Cards, Cars and Currency is a curriculum unit for use in high school personal
finance classes. The curriculum challenges students to learn about three specific
areas of personal finance: credit cards, debit cards and purchasing a car. The unit is
divided into five lesson plans. The activities in each lesson plan are designed
to address problem-solving, critical thinking and higher levels of learning, using
real-world scenarios.
The lessons can be downloaded at:
www.stlouisfed.org/education_resources/curriculum_units.cfm

A Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
High School Personal Finance Curriculum

Economic educators at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis offer workshops on
Cards, Cars and Currency. For information contact:
Little Rock: Billy Britt, billy.j.britt@stls.frb.org
Louisville: Caryn Rossiter, caryn.j.rossiter@stls.frb.org
Memphis: Jeannette Bennett, jeannette.n.bennett@stls.frb.org
St. Louis: Barbara Flowers, barbara.flowers@stls.frb.org