UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Education, in partnership with Robinhood Markets Inc. and the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center at Penn State, is launching a set of credit-bearing courses for a financial education program designed for NCAA Division I student-athletes. The first pilot course is underway, as is the development of a more extensive curriculum that will deploy this fall.
Through the "Robinhood Markets’ Money Drills" program, Penn State student-athletes will have the opportunity to gain, through credit-bearing courses, educational insights into personal finance management and planning, equipping them to navigate the unique financial challenges and experiences they may encounter during and after their collegiate careers.
“This program equips student-athletes with the financial knowledge and career guidance needed to navigate both Division I athletics and their post-graduation futures,” said Hyung Joon Yoon, associate professor of workforce education and development (WFED) and project lead for the program at Penn State.
The Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center will collaborate with the WFED program to develop the curriculum. The center will also offer one-on-one financial coaching services to participating student-athletes in collaboration with the Morgan Academic Center and Penn State athletics’ Student-Athlete Development and Enrichment program.
“At Penn State, we’re thrilled to partner with Robinhood on the 'Money Drills' program addressing our Division I student-athletes’ unique financial and career development needs,” said Julie Heaton, director of the Sokolov-Miller Financial and Life Skills Center. “This collaboration is about more than money — it’s about giving our student-athletes the tools to navigate life with confidence in their sport, classrooms and careers.”
Financial education courses will cover topics such as budgeting, managing credits, life decisions, career development and planning for retirement, from life economics and family and consumer sciences perspectives in a manner specifically geared toward student-athletes.
“We’re proud to expand the reach of 'Money Drills' and empower Penn State student-athletes with accessible financial education early in their careers,” said Chloe Barz, senior director of international government and external affairs at Robinhood Markets Inc. “These courses teach practical skills that build financial confidence so that every student can thrive in school, through sports, and long after graduation.”
Career development courses will use the existing framework from the general education course "WFED 119: Career Planning and Life Design" to help student-athletes develop career roadmaps related to their professional goals, whether in athletics or other fields.
“The Robinhood Markets’ 'Money Drills' program reflects the Department of Learning and Performance Systems’ (LPS) commitment to designing student-centered courses that equip Penn Staters with meaningful, real-world skills,” said Professor of Education and LPS department head Heather Toomey Zimmerman. “Today’s financial landscape is complex, especially considering the new opportunities that name, image and likeness regulations provide. It’s essential that student-athletes have the tools to make informed decisions. This initiative helps Penn State student-athletes build expertise and confidence in managing their money by covering topics from everyday budgeting to fiscal planning to long-term investments. The 'Money Drills' program reinforces our department’s broader mission to support students’ lifelong learning, enhance workforce development and provide opportunities for informal education around technologies.”
The program will utilize WFED’s “Dynamically Dated” flexible scheduling system, which blends classroom instruction, online learning, independent study and small group activities to accommodate student-athletes' complex schedules.
“We’re creating courses that blend classroom learning with real-world application, using flexible scheduling that accommodates the demanding schedules of Division I student-athletes,” said Eric J. Bergstrom, assistant teaching professor emeritus of WFED and co-lead on the "Money Drills" program at Penn State.
The courses will include a part-time financial resource adviser to serve as a mentor and to update course content to cover current financial practices and tax laws, along with the option for student-athlete peer mentors.
“Financial education is an important part of preparing student-athletes for life beyond competition,” said Meighan Julbert, associate athletic director for integrative human performance and strategic initiatives. “While we’ve partnered with the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center in the past, this expanded collaboration with the College of Education and Robinhood Markets allows Penn State to offer credit-bearing coursework and financial coaching that will help our student-athletes build the knowledge and confidence to manage their finances during their time at Penn State and beyond.”
For more information about the "Money Drills" course at Penn State, contact Yoon via email at huy114@psu.edu or telephone at 814-865-1876.