2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The United States faces increasing demand for a highly skilled engineering workforce to drive innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth. However, the ability to recruit, train, and retain this workforce is hindered by systemic barriers that disproportionately affect low-income and financially insecure students. Economic access to higher education remains one of the most significant challenges, with financial strain negatively impacting persistence, mental health, and degree completion. Without targeted intervention, financial insecurity undermines national efforts to broaden participation in engineering and limits the pool of future professionals equipped to meet the nation’s technological and economic needs. The absence of structured financial literacy education compounds these challenges, leaving them underprepared to navigate the financial realities of early career development.
In this context, the focus of our study is to examine the effectiveness of a financial literacy curriculum designed specifically for undergraduate engineering students participating in federally funded training programs. At an R1 university, financial literacy education has been embedded in the two undergraduate programs. These lectures, delivered as a core element of professional development, include modules on financial psychology, budgeting, credit management, and investing.

Evidence of impact has been assessed through pre- and post-workshop IRB surveys. Results indicate significant improvements in student confidence related to budgeting, understanding investments, and setting financial goals. For example, students reported shifts from neutral or disagree responses to agreement with statements such as “I feel I can confidently budget my earnings to try to meet some of my personal goals” and “I understand how to invest my earnings.” Students in the program also demonstrated increased understanding of how to act on financial goals and a measurable reduction in reported financial stress.
Central to our session is a discussion of the design, implementation, and assessment of these financial literacy interventions as systemic, evidence-based, and student-centered. The presentation will explore the process of integrating financial literacy into undergraduate engineering training programs, highlight assessment results, and provide practical strategies for scaling this work. Future applications will also be discussed, including expansion to national programs and development of a full one-credit curriculum to be expanded through partnership with the other universities to further broaden access to financial literacy resources for students at other institutions across the United States.