Save
In the Save stage of BOLD Lansing, students develop strong savings habits starting in kindergarten with the end goal of saving money for post-high school education. Adults who want to learn more about college-saving techniques will visit the Financial Empowerment Center.
Lansing Save
Every child deserves education after high school. That can mean going to a university, community college, trade school, or beauty school—whatever ends up being right. You and your child don’t need to have it all figured out yet, but saving starts sooner than you might think. That's why MSU Federal Credit Union automatically enrolls eligible children in post-secondary savings accounts through the Lansing SAVE program.
Join us on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 for our annual Lansing SAVE Night to kick off the 2010-2022 Lansing SAVE program! This event will be a live, virtual informational event about Lansing SAVE and will have representatives from the community and school district. Contact us at lansingsave@msufcu.org for more information.
Registration coming soon.
How it works
All students grades K-7 are automatically enrolled in an MSUFCU savings account with $5 to start—absolutely free. That means your child will have already started saving for college! And you can make additional deposits at any time to watch that savings grow. Lansing SAVE is a support system that you and your child can depend on to make saving for education after high school easier and less stressful. You won't have to learn how to do it on your own, and your child will continue to learn all the way through high school.
Lansing SAVE makes it easy to invest in your child's future in small ways that really add up over time. Education after high school is possible, and it's our job to provide you with the planning and support needed to get it. Everyone's situation is different, but Lansing SAVE works to get Lansing School District students to the same place: education after high school, so that they may become their best self.
Small steps create meaningful effects
Low & moderate income with college savings of just $1 to $499 are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate from college. So start now, even if you start small.
- If you saved $1 per every month, Kindergarten through 12th grade:
- $5 at account start + $1/month = $161
- If you saved $5 per every month, Kindergarten through 12th grade:
- $5 at account start + $5/month = $780
- If you saved $10 per every month, Kindergarten through 12th grade:
- $5 at account start + $10/month = $1560
How to spend your savings
When the time comes for your student to attend college or post-high school education, they can spend their savings on:
- tuition/course credits
- books and other course material
- meal plans (if they live on campus)
- dues for student/professional organizations
Not sure if your child already has an account?
Elementary School
The Lansing SAVE program automatically starts every Lansing School District student (K-7) with $5 in an MSUFCU savings account so you and your child can start making repeated deposits, no matter how big or small. Even if it's just a few bucks at a time, making a deposit every week will teach your child the importance of saving, and it will open more opportunities for them once they graduate high school.
Our team visits your child's school every month to provide financial education lessons. During these visits, your child can make deposits at school, but we also encourage you to regularly visit an MSUFCU branch to do the same. When you and your child attend SAVE night, you'll learn more about the Lansing SAVE program and how to take advantage of it. You'll also receive additional money for deposits! Above all else, you'll learn that education after high school is possible if you take it one step at a time.
Middle School
When your child moves into middle school, we’ll continue to check-in and visit a few times per year to help you remember to keep going and how important it is to make deposits regularly.
Middle school is a great time to reinforce the savings habits your child learned in elementary. Regularly visiting an MSUFCU branch to deposit birthday money, allowances, and spare change will shape good savings habits as your child grows up.
High School
In 9th grade, Lansing SAVE will set up a direct deposit for your child's first job and guide them through the process of applying for the SAVE ambassadorship.
In 10th grade, your child will visit an MSUFCU branch and continue to deposit.
In 12th grade, your child will learn how to use their SAVE account for education expenses after high school. That could mean paying for college applications, applying for scholarships and student loans, or setting up a budget for life after high school. They'll also learn how to become a Lansing SAVE intern.
Lansing SAVE is an easy, secure to save money—little by little—and get kids in the good habit of saving.
To see how Lansing SAVE fits into the bigger picture of BOLD,
view our complete Action Plan.
If your child is a junior or senior, head to the Prep page
to learn more how they can prepare for education after high school beyond saving.
Financial Empowerment Center
The Financial Empowerment Center helps you secure your finances and save money for post-high school education.
We provide free 1-on-1 financial counseling in order to help residents identify their goals and create an action plan that accomplishes them.
Schedule a free 1-on-1 appointment with a financial advisor ↗︎
To learn more about what the Financial Empowerment Center can do for you, head to the Manage page.