Foundations of Money Education (AGLS 235)
Since 2017, the Texas A&M Financial Planning Program has offered the Foundations of Money Education Course (AGLS 235), so that all students could learn about money and earn academic credit towards their degrees at the same time.
This Social & Behavioral Sciences Core Elective Course is open to all undergraduates, and as of Fall 2023, it has enrolled over 4,000 Aggies from more than 100 different majors.
The course is expanding and, beginning Spring 2024, will now educate more than 2,000 students year-round (fall, spring, summer) both in-person and asynchronously online so that students can learn about money however best suits them.
Beginning Summer 2022, the course is also now partnering with Texas A&M Athletics to strategically enroll and educate their incoming student-athletes about money so they can make the best financial decisions during and after college.
Watch this short video to learn more about this course.
Course Curriculum:
This 3-credit hour course teaches students about the following financial concepts and more:
- The Financial Planning Process
- Time Value of Money
- Taxes
- Saving & Banking
- Money & Culture
- Consumerism & Credit
- Paying for College
- Preparing for Graduation
- Car Buying
- Home Buying
- Love & Money
- Investing
- Retirement Planning
Instructor – Nick Kilmer
Nick Kilmer is an instructor for the Texas A&M Financial Planning Program in the Department of Agricultural Economics and he has been instructing AGLS 235 since Fall 2017.
Nick earned is BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University, and his MBA from the University of Texas at Tyler.
Instructor – David Roach
David Roach is an instructor for the Texas A&M Financial Planning Program in the Department of Agricultural Economics and he has been instructing AGLS 235 since Fall 2019.
David earned his BSA in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University, and his MBA from the University of Texas at Permian Basin.
Testimonials
“I feel much better about my finances than I did at the beginning of the semester, and I’m now confident in my ability to handle future major financial decisions.
I think personal finances aren’t well understood by college students, and that this class will have a huge impact on the students of Texas A&M in the future.”
Austin I, Sport Management Student
“I wanted to thank you for teaching one of the most impactful classes I have taken here at Texas A&M. Going into my senior year, I knew that there was so much about money and personal finance that I did not know and it added to the stress of what my life would look like post-graduation. When I saw the opportunity to take this class, I was excited and relieved. The knowledge, strategies, and good finance practices that I learned in this class will last a lifetime. You’ve been an amazing instructor. Your passion for teaching financial literacy shined through every class and I appreciate it. I now have the knowledge and courage to share what I’ve learned from you with my family and friends.”
Sade H, Economics Student
“There were so many things I learned in Professor Kilmer’s class; some of the few things I learned were how to purchase a vehicle, a home, and how to build my credit. Before taking the Money Education class I really didn’t know how to save money nor had much knowledge on credit cards (although I had one). Besides teaching you the basics of money and credit he goes into depth about your financial goals for the instant future and the years to come, gives you a detailed plan on how you should approach every financial decision, and gives insight on how to approach certain big time financial decisions such as buying a home/car, etc. With confidence I can say that whoever takes the Money Education course will definitely enjoy it. Professor Kilmer is someone who knows the criteria and can explain it as if you were five. I enjoyed the course and even better I enjoyed having Professor Kilmer as our professor. He truly cares about you and your future.”
Alex B, University Studies Global Arts, Planning, Design & Construction Student