Financial program from high schoolers, GVSU to launch across Michigan in 2025

ALLENDALE TWP. — A financial literacy tool created by high schoolers through an initiative at Grand Valley State University will receive a statewide launch in 2025.

FinLit, a tool “developed by and for Gen Z” through GVSU’s REP4 Program, has received a funding commitment of nearly $2 million from the Fifth Third Foundation.

The goal of FinLit is to make personal finance more accessible and understandable to a younger generation, according to a release.

“Fifth Third is deeply committed to helping students develop the skills they need to manage their finances and prepare for financial independence,” wrote Fifth Third Executive Vice President Kala Gibson. “Because FinLit was created by students for students, using proven research and expert advice, we think it has the potential to change the way they think about money, spending habits, savings, investments and other key aspects of their finances.”

FinLit began as a pitch idea through REP4, a national alliance of colleges and universities founded in part by Grand Valley. The alliance is designed to empower high school and college students to work together to “design the future of higher education” through ideas and prototypes.

Joy Murerwa, a sophomore at GVSU studying finance and accounting, is a content expert for FinLit. She said the tool will provide help in a place where it's desperately needed.

“Navigating the world of personal finance can be overwhelming,” Murerwa wrote. “This prototype represents more than just learning how to budget or manage debt; it's about peer-to-peer empowerment and closing the knowledge gap that many students face.”

A group of high schoolers developed the initial prototype for FinLit in 2021. Since then, a team of students at GVSU has been designing, developing and testing the program.

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FinLit is now set to launch in Michigan in 2025, followed by a national release in 2026. It will include digital tools to help young adults get comfortable with personal finances, including a quiz identifying a “money mindset” that provides insights on spending habits.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Fifth Third Foundation for their generous support of this program,” GVSU President Philomena Mantella wrote. “Thanks to their partnership, our students will be able to build out and share this engaging and important digital experience with students across the country.”

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com .

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Financial program from high schoolers, GVSU to launch across Michigan in 2025