Dec 2, 2020

Launching SFCU Cares

In line with our mission to financially empower and provide low-cost, quality banking to the larger Penn community, we are excited to announce that the SFCU will be setting aside up to $1,000,000 to donate free credit builders to all Penn students, alumni, and families. This promotion marks the beginning of “SFCU Cares,” a series of initiatives focused on fostering financial wellness.

As one of the only financial institutions in the country founded by students for our community, we make the financial wellness of our members a top priority. When the pandemic hit, we launched an emergency loan program to help provide our members with rapid funding during this time of increased financial stress. We also recently partnered with Zogo, an app which pays users while teaching financial literacy through short, interactive modules, to help equip students with basic personal finance skills. At the SFCU, we are honored to join credit unions across America in upholding the longstanding traditions of promoting financial literacy and offering products tailored to our community’s needs.

The SFCU will be setting aside up to $1,000,000 to donate free credit builders to all Penn students, alumni, and families.

That is why we are proud to announce our free Credit Builder giveaway. Many college students have not heard of a credit score, let alone begun building a history. We understand that navigating the world of credit can be confusing and difficult. Our goal is not only to raise awareness of the importance of having a good credit score, but also to put our members on the path to achieving one. To accomplish this, the SFCU is setting aside up to $1,000,000 to donate Credit Builders to the members of the Penn community. For students, alumni, and their families who do not yet have a credit history and those who do, this is a perfect opportunity to build one. Applying for a Credit Builder doesn’t leave a hard inquiry or other derogatory mark on your credit report that could hurt your score. Once you open a Credit Builder, you don’t have to remember to make payments, or transfer funds between accounts; we take care of everything for you from beginning to end. And unlike applying for credit cards or standard loans, there is no long internal review process; approvals can be given instantly. You can apply to open your free Credit Builder and SFCU account here or if you have any questions about the Credit Builder you can email credit@upennsfcu.org.

We are also preparing to open applications for what will be the first annual SFCU Community Wellness Scholarship. In response to both the recent financial struggles resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the long standing inequities brought about by the student debt crisis, we will be offering scholarships to multiple Penn undergraduate students who are currently on financial aid or have taken out student loans. This scholarship is not restricted to SFCU members, so we encourage all qualifying undergraduate students to apply. Check upennsfcu.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram to see more specific information on the SFCU Community Wellness Scholarship as it is announced. The application deadline is January 20th.

In addition to providing free credit builders, offering COVID-19 relief loans, and promoting financial literacy through Zogo, we will also be rolling out more wellness-centered initiatives in the next few months. Stay tuned for more announcements about a financial wellness scholarship, upcoming financial literacy events and partnerships, and more!