PENN STATE DICKINSON LAW STUDENTS LEARN THE VALUE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY WITH ACCESSLEX
December 2024 — Uyen Nguyen ’25 believes planning for your financial future is critical. To that end, she proactively researched scholarships before enrolling at Penn State Dickinson Law and limited her student loans once she arrived. She often enters contests offering law school students scholarships and is planning ahead financially so she can take time off to study for the bar exam following graduation. She has done all of this with the assistance of AccessLex Institute.
AccessLex is a nonprofit offering free resources — such as a scholarship database, student loan calculator, one-on-one financial coaching, and the MAX by AccessLex® personal finance program — to support law school students as they pursue their education. It also works to improve access to and positively influence legal education through policy advocacy, research, and its grant programs. Furthering its goal of empowering the next generation of lawyers, AccessLex Institute’s Helix Bar Review program is the only national nonprofit bar review.
“They have everything related to law school available for students,” said Nguyen. “All the resources they provide are very straightforward and easy to navigate, like their scholarship database and financial literacy tools.”
Penn State Dickinson Law has built a strong relationship with AccessLex. Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway has served two terms on the institute’s board of directors. Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Rebecca Schreiber uses AccessLex resources to educate law students about the importance of financial literacy.
Earlier this year, Penn State Dickinson Law became one of four nationwide winners of MAX Madness, a competition sponsored by AccessLex that awards students points for attending MAX webinars and completing MAX lessons. To honor that victory, the nonprofit sponsored an autumn-themed celebration at the Law School in late October.
Students snapped photos against a festive fall backdrop, enjoyed spicy chili, indulged in apple cider and pumpkin donuts, solved a Penn State Dickinson Law-themed crossword, and put together a jigsaw puzzle featuring Lewis Katz Hall. Schreiber had fun planning and sourcing food from local businesses. The well-attended event underscored the benefits of making financial education entertaining and accessible.
“Financial education is important for everyone, not just law students, but there are several reasons it is particularly critical for law students,” said Schreiber. “I want them to be able to graduate without feeling too burdened by debt. Financial planning and oversight during law school can help them with that goal. Demonstrating financial capability is crucial for attorneys. Showing you are not in financial trouble is often part of your character and fitness review for the bar.”
Engaging with students nationwide
AccessLex Regional Director — Mid-Atlantic for the Center for Education and Financial Capability® Mary Bechler works with Penn State Dickinson Law and other law schools across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York, often collaborating with financial aid and career services offices. “We want to meet students where they are, and the more touch points, the better,” said Bechler.
AccessLex, an early funder of Penn State Dickinson Law’s Antiracist Development Institute, reaches out to students online and in person. It sponsors Wellness Weeks where students can get free chair massages and competitions in which students wear different T-shirts to promote their classes. AccessLex sends monthly emails to administrators highlighting seasonal stressors that may be on students’ minds and sponsors webinars highlighting topics like financial investments. It issues specific calls to action to encourage students to engage after the event.
Nguyen appreciates the breadth of tools the nonprofit offers. She was so impressed that last year she became an AccessLex Champion (now the Helix Champions program), someone who helps promote the nonprofit’s services to other Penn State Dickinson Law students. “The experience has helped me learn about financial literacy. I think about how to plan my finances and how I will be able to pay off my student loans,” said Nguyen.
Her efforts for AccessLex include tabling in the Commons, where she distributes information about programs. Her efforts previously earned her gift cards from the nonprofit, and she will also get a free bar course and a stipend for her work. The free bar prep drew her to the position.
“I have urged my 3L friends to think about bar prep and what program they want to enroll in. Getting the word out about bar prep has been my focus,” said Nguyen. She noted that she can put the money she saves from not having to pay for a bar prep class toward exam costs.
Encouraging students to use helpful tools
AccessLex has more in store for students as the holidays approach and the new year begins. The nonprofit is running a blog series titled “Law and Money,” posting regular updates on nationwide higher education policy developments, and preparing for upcoming MAX scholarships, which total nearly $400,000 each year. It also launched a Building Bar Skills Initiative last year.
Having the tools and support to achieve financial security pays dividends that go far beyond material gains for future attorneys. Financial security also benefits their mental health. “We are always emphasizing peace of mind. Yes, students learn personal financial management, but it contributes to overall wellness,” said Bechler. “When people have control of their financial resources, they feel less anxious, and it helps them to concentrate on other things. We emphasize that incentive for them to embark on their personal financial journey.”
Schreiber appreciates the way the AccessLex partnership allows students to get a financial education on their own terms.
“My vision is that students have access to financial education, and I am always glad to work one-on-one with them,” said Schreiber. She has helped individual students develop a budget or decrease costs of living.
“But I’m also just one person, and we have hundreds of students,” said Schreiber. “AccessLex offers amazing resource that support financial education and programming for law students specifically. Its mission aligns so beautifully with legal education and my vision for our students, and I’m very happy to have a partner in them.”