Instructors

An Overview

Instructors come in many forms:

  • A parent teaching a child,
  • A sibling helping a sibling,
  • A peer mentor,
  • A caregiver offering bits of advice,
  • An educator guiding a student, or
  • A service or supports coordinator, supports broker, or other professional working with those they serve.
Two women sit on a couch reviewing financial statements on a coffee table.
Elysia works with her supports coordinator, Kaylynn, on her money map (budget).

If you are helping a person with a disability learn to manage their money, take control of their financial future, and work toward independent living, this website is meant to be a resource to you.

Financial education is the foundation to independent living – as we advocate for people with disabilities in employment, housing, and community inclusion, we must ensure that they are empowered with information and knowledge to make important financial decisions.

The book from which this website is derived (Cents and Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management) is the first and only comprehensive curriculum developed specifically for members of the disability community. We hope you will find this website and all the resources listed below helpful.

How to Use This Website

Topics

This website provides a step-by-step process for learners to organize and manage their money. It is organized into topic areas. Your learner can complete each of the topics in order as a complete curriculum, or you can use only the topics that apply to your learner’s goals.

These topics correspond to chapters within Cents and Sensibility. Some instructors may find it useful to use the book in combination with the website, and/or in combination with the Cents and Sensibility Educator Companion Manual. You’ll find all of these resources and more at the bottom of this page.

Cover of the book titled Cents and Sensibility.

Activities

Within each topic are interactive activities designed to help your learner understand financial concepts, create their own money map (budget), and make plans to achieve their financial goals.

  • Each interactive activity is also available as a blank PDF worksheet to download, print, and complete on paper.
  • Users can also print completed activities by clicking the “print” button beneath the activity.
  • Activities are meant to be completed in order and as completely as possible. Some activities build on one another. This means later activities will automatically fill in based on responses from earlier activities.
  • If you are using a public computer, save a completed activity by printing it out. Then be sure to clear the activity using the “clear” button, so your information is not visible to others who use that computer.

Topic Quizzes – Earn a Badge!

Each topic has a set of review questions at the end. These questions are a fun way to test your learner’s knowledge and prompt them to think about how they plan to use what they have learned. Learners can complete the review questions to earn a Topic Badge!

And, if they complete the entire website, they can earn a StudyMoney.us Certificate!

Ongoing Use of This Website

To improve the user’s experience, this website stores activity information locally on the device being used. For the best experience, learners should bookmark StudyMoney.us on their personal computer, tablet, or mobile device so they can return to it without losing their information.

If using a public computer, visitors should be sure to clear each activity after they have completed it using the “clear” button at the bottom of the activity. They can save their responses before by printing the completed activity using the “print” button.

*Note: Learn more about how and why we collect and store user information in this website’s Privacy Policy.

Accessibility

We have worked with our web developers to meet WCAG 2 AA standards as well as multiple rounds of user testing to ensure accessibility of this website. We know that accessibility needs vary widely based on the individual, and we hope you will contact us if you encounter any difficulties using this website so that we can make updates and changes as we continue to strive for full accessibility. Read more in our Accessibility Statement.

Helpful Tip!

If you need to make the font on a webpage larger or smaller, most web browsers support a simple keyboard shortcut. Press and hold the Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and then press either + (plus sign) or (minus sign) to increase or decrease the size of the font.

More Resources

Blank PDF Activity Worksheets

Download blank, printable versions of each activity included on this website.

Cents and Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management

The website and all of its activities are based on the book Cents and Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management, which was developed by Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation. This book is free to people with disabilities, and available in English and Spanish, in both electronic PDF and in print. Download Cents and Sensibility or request a hard copy.

Cents and Sensibility Educator Companion Manual and Slides

The Cents and Sensibility Educator Companion Manual was developed by a team of educators to accompany Cents and Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management with accommodations for classroom use. While we strongly believe all students should receive a high-quality financial education, we know students with disabilities have unique financial education needs. This manual helps teachers develop relevant lessons and activities for students with and without disabilities on topics such as earning income, saving, and using financial services. Download the Educator Companion Manual and Slides, or request a hard copy.

Money Talks Webinar Series Recordings

Money Talks is a free webinar series on financial empowerment for people with disabilities hosted by Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation. Past recordings, transcripts, slides, and other materials are available on a variety of topics including money mapping, identity theft, PA ABLE savings accounts, voting, and more.

Additional Resources

Find a list of links to useful websites, books, guides, blogs, and fun games that can reinforce some of the concepts in this website. Resources that might be of particular use for instructors are noted. In addition you will find a list of local, statewide, and national financial education resources.

Glossary

While working through this website, learners may come across a term in bold that is unfamiliar. Click on the word to be directed to the full definition in the Glossary. The Glossary is also linked at the bottom of every page.