Subscribe to MWCC News 
Mount Wachusett Community College will hold four free financial literacy workshops for veterans and their families at its Leominster campus following the receipt of a $4,050 grant.
“No one individual can be an expert in everything. Yet veterans and their families are required every day to make financial decisions that can have significant and long-term impact,” said MWCC’s Director of Veteran Services Bob Mayer. “This is why we applied for the Operation Moneywise grant and why we encourage area veterans and their families to attend.”
The college was awarded the State Treasurer’s Operation Money Wise: Financial Education Opportunity Grant on Wednesday. The MWCC Financial Literacy Project will hold four evening sessions from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at MWCC’s Leominster Campus on Erdman Way. The first session will be held on Tuesday, March 13. Each two hour session will focus on different financial literacy themes, and will be divided into two 40 minute presentations. A light dinner will be provided free along with the free workshops.
MWCC has held financial literacy workshops for students covering credit, budgeting, retirement, financial and other student aid, and purchasing a home or car. The annual Financial Literacy fair is still held, said Mayer, but this grant will allow the college to even better serve the area’s veteran population from a financial literacy standpoint.
The first session will have a theme of Scam Avoidance with Nancy Cahalen of the Better Business Bureau giving tips on being a “Savvy Consumer.” The second half of the session will feature internet specialist Robert Sarao who will give advice on avoiding internet scams. Future sessions will include Making and Managing a Budget, All Things Credit and Paying for College.
Operation Money Wise is funded entirely through a Division of Banks settlement over alleged unlawful lending practices. The Division of Banks has committed $50,000 to the Operation Money Wise program for 2018.