NORTH EAST, Md. – APG Federal Credit Union is expanding its partnership with Cecil College in the transformation of lives through education and financial literacy. In the third phase of its generosity to the College, APGFCU is opening a branch on the North East Campus of Cecil College to service the needs of students, faculty, and staff.
The APGFCU campus branch will provide the convenience of onsite, in-person account service, combined with the flexibility of remote access through online banking, mobile banking, and 43,000 free ATMs nationwide. The location of this new branch was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 15, on the first floor of the Technology Center with college, credit union, and county officials on hand.
“Cecil College is truly honored to have been selected as the first college-based branch of APG Federal Credit Union and we are extremely appreciative of the financial and professional development this partnership will provide to our students, faculty, and staff. The partnerships avail students the opportunities to participate in financial literacy and to participate as they support their continued academic careers at Cecil,” said Cecil College President, Mary Way Bolt, Ed.D.
“We look forward to collaborating with the college to educate students on personal financial management, to offering students the opportunity to gain real-world experience through employment at this branch, and to serving the Cecil College community. We believe the kind of experiential learning this branch will provide will help prepare the next generation of adults for a lifetime of success,” said APGFCU President and CEO, Don W. Lewis.
This announcement comes on the heels of APGFCU’s $50,000 donation to the Cecil College Foundation to fund two new programs, which will enhance the educational opportunities for Cecil County and Harford County residents. The first gift of $25,000 will go toward the creation of an APGFCU Scholarship endowment fund.
The second gift of $25,000 will provide financial support for Cecil College’s First-Year Experience Program. The First-Year Experience Program introduces students to the processes of self-evaluation and self-improvement, with a portion of the course instruction dedicated to financial literacy as one of the four habits for academic success.
“I want to give you a few facts from a recent survey. Forty-two percent of adults gave themselves the grades C, D, or F with regard to their own personal finances. Twenty-six percent have not saved anything for retirement. Thirty-two percent have no savings. Sixty-two percent don’t have a budget and 25 percent don’t pay their bills on time. That is the lack of financial literacy,” said Cecil College Trustee, Mark Mortenson. “I am proud to say this college introduced a course in the fall where the central components were financial education. Our own students who had recently been taught in the state of Maryland said, ‘we were surprised by what we didn’t know.’”
Also on hand for this landmark event were Cecil County Executive, Alan McCarthy; APGFCU Board of Directors Chairman, Barry Decker; and APGFCU Board members Charles Alston, and John Blomquist; Cecil College’s Board of Trustees Chairwoman Sarah W. Colenda; and Board member Kathy Kunda.
In addition to the APGFCU branch, the credit union will provide students with financial education resources such as financial literacy workshops on campus and online money management tools. The branch will have two full-time and two part-time employees, and Cecil College students will have the opportunity to fill these positions.
This will be a full-service branch offering the same products and all the same services available at any APGFCU branch. The branch will also be available to members of the community who visit the campus for various activities, sporting events, enrichment, and summer programs.
APGFCU is working closely with Cecil College to identify the peak hours when students are on campus. Current plans are for the branch to be open from mid-morning through early evening, Monday to Thursday, and mid-morning through early afternoon on Friday. Branch hours will be reviewed and may be adjusted to best serve the campus community.
To learn more about supporting scholarships at Cecil College, contact John Beck, Executive Director of Cecil College Foundation, at 410-287-1041 or jbeck@cecil.edu.
APGFCU is committed to building strong families for a stronger community, with 11 branches and two loan centers in Harford and Cecil counties. Membership is free and open to everyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Harford and Cecil counties. For more information, call 410-272-4000 or visit apgfcu.com.
ON-CAMPUS BRANCH – The ribbon was cut for APG Federal Credit Union’s new campus branch set to open this summer at Cecil College, North East, Maryland. From left to right: APGFCU Board of Directors member, Charles N. Alston; APGFCU Board of Directors member, John A. Blomquist; APGFCU Board of Directors Chairman, Barry Decker; Cecil College Board of Trustees Chairwoman, Sarah W. Colenda; APGFCU President and CEO, Don W. Lewis; Cecil College President, Mary Way Bolt, Ed.D.; Cecil County Executive, Alan McCarthy; Cecil College Trustee Kathy Kunda; and Cecil College Trustee, Mark Mortenson.