Center for Financial and Economic Education
Our Mission
The Center for Financial and Economic Education is a component of the Gateway Center, dedicated to providing an array of financial education programs to the campus and to residents of Westchester County.
Reinforcing the mission of the Gateway Center, the CFEE seeks to promote economic advancement for our students, and particularly our immigrant population, through programs that build important skills around money management and financial decision making.
The CFEE offers a comprehensive platform for financial learning by offering classes, workshops, and other resources with an objective of fostering financial empowerment within our community.
Through the CFEE initiatives, we aspire to foster best practices in financial education and to develop training methodologies for community college students. As part of our mission, the CFEE actively advocates for financial learning in Westchester County and provides a forum for exchange of ideas and thought leadership in financial and economic education.
The Center for Financial Economic Education is generously funded by a grant from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.
Program Director
Suzanne Matthews, is the Director of the Center for Financial and Economic Education
Prior to joining Westchester Community College, Ms. Matthews was founder and principal of Finance in Focus, a consulting practice providing financial literacy training and education to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government entities. Her professional background includes over 25 years in the financial services industry, working in corporate finance and investment banking at Bank of America and HSBC Securities.
As a financial education consultant, she coordinated programs for both private sector and public sector organizations, including the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection and the YWCA of the City of New York. She is a frequent speaker on personal finance topics and has participated in educational programs at the New York Public Library and the Museum of American Finance. Her educational background includes a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. in finance from Columbia University. Contact Suzanne Matthews: Suzanne.matthews@sunywcc.edu.
Tools to Help Manage Your Money
One of the new financial tools offered by the CFEE is CashCourse®, an online resource accessed through the college web site. CashCourse provides students and others in the community with information and strategies to better manage their financial lives. CashCourse can be found at: www.cashcourse.org
CashCourse is a quick and user-friendly way to get information about everyday money issues that most students face in these challenging economic times: stretching dollars, managing credit cards, repaying student loans, and saving for future emergencies.
The site offers an array of tips and tools on basic financial topics and also includes instruction on use of various online financial calculators
Contact Us
Westchester Community College offers a number of pathways to help you prepare for a new career! You can get the skills and knowledge you need by enrolling in a non-credit program, or earn college credits through one of our degree or certificate programs. Perhaps you are not sure what people do or how much money they earn in certain careers? Would you like to know how many jobs are predicted to be available in a particular industry? Or maybe you are unsure whether receiving a non-credit career certification or license would be right for you? Go to https://sunywcc.emsicareercoach.com to explore a variety of career opportunities, their associated job descriptions, and salary and employment trends. Complete a career assessment for additional guidance. Still not sure? Visit www.sunywcc.edu/career for more career resources and contacts.