Financial Well-Being
Advancing the Barnard Community's Financial Well-Being
Financial well-being is a matter of critical importance for women, for college students — and indeed for individuals throughout the entire course of their lives beyond college. At Barnard, students, faculty, and staff now have dedicated space and resources to facilitate ongoing development of the skills and knowledge necessary to take ownership of one's financial well-being. The Francine LeFrak Center's integration of space and programming for financial well-being represents a distinctive intervention among similar well-being centers at peer institutions.
Spring 2026 Programming
Flagship Initiative: The Francine LeFrak Financial Well-Being Undergraduate Certificate Program
The Francine LeFrak Financial Well-Being Undergraduate Certificate Program will take place on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 (with 15 minutes extra time for questions from 7:30-7:45PM), beginning in February 3! The program will conclude with a Certificate Ceremony on March 31. Express your interest and receive updates here.
This 8-week program is designed exclusively for Barnard students and is led by the LeFrak Ambassadors, students trained across matters of financial fluency who empower their peers through leadership of this intensive series of introductory workshops. Throughout the program, participants gain essential life skills in saving, budgeting, building credit, investing, and negotiating career benefits—knowledge that empowers them to make informed financial decisions during college and beyond.
The sessions are as follows:
- Emotions Behind Money & Cultural Consciousness
- Budgeting & Money Management
- Saving & Goal Setting
- Building Credit & Credit Score
- Investing & Retirement Accounts
- Taxes
- Finances Post-College: Career, Grad School, Gap Years, Fellowships
- Do It Day
- Certificate Ceremony and Celebration
Made possible by the Jolyne Caruso-Fitzgerald '81 Financial Wellness Fund. Questions can be directed to lefrakcenter@barnard.edu.
The Francine LeFrak Financial Well-Being High School Certificate Program
An adapted version of the financial well-being certificate program is also offered each semester to students at the Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS). We’re proud to partner with TYWLS and thank the LeFrak Ambassadors for their commitment to expanding access to financial education. Since 2023, LeFrak Ambassadors have trained more than 50 high school students, with more to come. The program is proof that it is never too early to learn the value of financial fluency.
Questions about additional programming can be addressed to lefrakcenter@barnard.edu.