Hundreds of Carolina students participated in CNBC’s launch of its Your Money College Tour at UNC-Chapel Hill in February 2024, which shared tips for financial well-being and success with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. A panel discussion and activity fair featured Gilbert Rogers, director of the newly launched Carolina Financial Well-Being Center (CFWC), who spoke to Tar Heels about how investing in themselves and their understanding of topics like student loans, budgeting, and financial literacy can set them up for success during and after their time at Carolina.
“One of the most important things you can do at this stage of life is to learn about financial well-being and how your life experiences with money can inform decisions you make,” Rogers said.
The CFWC launched in fall 2024 and is a joint initiative between the Dean of Students office and the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. Through the CFWC, students can request to meet one on one with a peer financial coach, request a workshop for a student organization, and more. The Center also hosts an abundance of resources for students relating to financial well-being, such as tools for understanding identity theft and fraud, credit card debt, and planning for financial success following graduation.
The panel discussion, held in the Carolina Union, also featured:
- Brandon Copeland, an entrepreneur and investor who formerly played with the NFL
- Tiffany James, a self-made millionaire, investor, and founder of ModernBlkGirl
- Steven Hughes, a financial therapist
CNBC’s Sharon Epperson and Tyler Mathisen led the panel discussion.
Master’s degree student Isabella Jarvis attended the CNBC events and said as a first-generation college student from an immigrant household, topics like Roth IRAs, stock, bonds, and financial literacy can feel like a foreign language.
“I’m not only trying to educate myself, but also share this knowledge with my family,” she said. “Hearing from individuals who look like me and have similar experiences made me feel supported and reassured that I’m not alone on this journey.”
Jarvis said she learned about the benefits of having a structured saving strategy and plans to be intentional about budgeting and making informed investment decisions.
“One moment that really stuck with me was Steven’s story — as a child of Jamaican descent, I resonated deeply with his experience. Conversations about money weren’t common in my household because my parents, like theirs before them, never had those discussions,” she said. “As a first-generation college student, it often feels like I’m learning and teaching at the same time.”