Helping teens learn about finance

A powerful tool for learning

Fifth Third Bank is proud to offer Finance Academy^SM, a financial education and entrepreneurship program for high school students. Finance Academy is a Fifth Third Lives Improved through Financial Empowerment (L.I.F.E.^®) program that delivers interactive online financial education to students within the Company’s 10-state Consumer Bank footprint. Finance Academy is offered at no cost to schools or taxpayers.

Launched with the 2017-2018 school year, Fifth Third aims to teach 450,000 students over the next three years through Finance Academy’s two web-based courses: foundational financial education and entrepreneurship. The financial education course builds the foundation for students’ future well-being through a series of 30-45 minute financial education modules, covering topics like investing basics and common financial accounts. Each course module provides bite-sized instructional animations that make the topics approachable and relatable to students. In addition, Finance Academy immerses students in real-life financial scenarios and documentation, such as filling out a FAFSA form. 

Through its Venture entrepreneurship course, Finance Academy focuses on building and empowering the next generation of business owners and entrepreneurs by guiding them through the creation of a business plan—from idea generation to taking a business to market to sustainable business practices for growth.

Finance Academy’s course technology uniquely tracks the progress of each student. Students are assessed before beginning the courses, along the way, and after course completion. Fifth Third’s goal is to vastly improve the financial proficiency of each Finance Academy student so they finish with the knowledge and tools to successfully manage their financial lives. Finance Academy is embedded into high school curricula and is aligned with state and national standards. The Finance Academy financial education course is a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommended resource.

Schools interested in using Finance Academy in their classrooms and students and families interested in learning more should visit FinanceAcademy.53.com. Click here to view a Fifth Third Academy Infographic.

Other School Initiatives

We also sponsor a variety of other programs throughout our footprint, including Teach Children to Save, a program of the American Banker’s Association (ABA) Education Foundation and Junior Achievement. Our goal is to expose students to essential information and provide tools that equip them to be financially successful as they embark on their adult lives.