Ole Miss opens financial literacy class for athletes

Ole Miss is starting a new financial literacy class for athletes in the spring that could potentially spread to other campuses throughout the Southeast if successful.

The program, developed by Regions Banks, gets underway on April 19 and will teach student-athletes how to save their money, build a positive credit history and manage their finances. 

Regions has already contributed $500,000 to the program, which is set up through Ole Miss's Vaught Society/Forward Together campaign.

The goal is to address the poor financial decisions college students make, and specifically issues related to debt from student loans and credit cards.

"We have a long-term relationship with Ole Miss, and this is a natural extension of our support for the university and its students," said Jimmy Brown of Grenada, area president for Regions North Mississippi.

"It's our goal to support both financial education and additional life skills that will serve students well as they begin their careers and plan for the future."