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Director of Financial Education Initiatives and Repayment Management Chris Conway highlights collaborative initiatives that support students’ financial well-being

SM������ is pleased to share that Chris Conway, Director of Financial Education Initiatives and Repayment Management joins the 10th annual Summit of the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance (HEFWA), in Pittsburgh, PA, an event for dedicated higher education professionals committed to advancing financial wellness on their respective campuses. Conway will co-present the session, “A New World: Helping Borrowers Manage Student Loans in 2024 and Beyond,” on Tuesday, July 17, 2024, at 11:15 p.m. EDT. 

“Student loan borrowers face unique challenges in the current environment,” states Conway. “Growing financial literacy of students is critical to helping them have a successful educational journey and maintain financial health. Initiatives that draw on unique strengths and products of collaborative teams and organizations, grow internal and external relationships that make us more likely to succeed in helping students become more financially literate.”

The Summit serves as a dynamic platform for attendees from small, large, private, and public colleges and universities to discuss the latest challenges, opportunities and innovations within higher education financial services, encouraging them to embrace change, drive innovation within their organizations, and providing them with the tools necessary to elevate the success of their careers. The Summit features industry-leading speakers, practitioner-led sessions, and networking opportunities with industry peers.

The session which Conway co-presents with Sara Wilson, Director of Product Innovation at Student Connections, discusses the landscape for borrowers today facing financial distress and confused due to the continued spread of misinformation and misdirection of social media trends, and highlights how collaboration between organizations can address communication challenges. The session will help attendees better understand these challenges and provide strategies to help borrowers in the new world of student loans.

As Director of Financial Education Initiatives and Repayment Management at SM������, Conway works with departments across the University to provide resources that allow students to make more informed financial decisions. She is also an adjunct faculty member for the Everyday Finance and Economics course at the University. Conway’s higher education experience has been primarily in customer service, default prevention and financial education. She currently chairs the National Council of Higher Education Resources College Access and Success Committee. In the past she served as co-chair of the Debt Management Committee and chair of its Financial Literacy sub-committee. She is a past president of the Washington state Jump $tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. 

SM������ is committed to offering a support system for students including resources and tools to help students manage their finances responsibly. One resource is the iGrad® online money-management tool, which students can use to learn how to budget, save, minimize borrowing and understand future student loan payments. Additionally, iGrad® provides a scholarship search tool for non-University scholarships. iGrad is registered trademark of iGrad Inc.

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About SM������

SM������ innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit  phoenix.edu/blog.html.