As you may know, your EBCI Minors Trust Fund is a substantial amount of money and your tribal leaders want to provide you with the skills, knowledge and tools so that you can make smart choices with your money both now and for the future. A requirement passed by Tribal Council, Ordinance No. 401 (effective April 1, 2011), states: “Any minor member, applying for his or her Minors Trust Fund, will be required to complete the online Manage Your EBCI Money course and include his or her Certificate of Completion to be entitled to receive any monies.”
What this means is that before you can get your trust fund money, you are required to complete a short online financial education course called, Manage Your EBCI Money, in addition to completing your high school education or GED. This course is a website specially designed just for EBCI youth and dedicated to the fascinating world of personal finance. It is loaded with valuable information including a financial calculator that will show you how long it will take to become a millionaire if you start investing your money when you are young. As well as, fun car buying facts to help you make an informed decision regarding auto purchases and even music videos geared towards a host of relevant financial topics such as identity theft, understanding credit cards and managing your bank account; all for the purpose of assisting you with making the most of your EBCI money!
To get started, type manageyourebcimoney.org into the browser window of any web accessible computer and press enter. You will see a log-in screen with directions that you can take from there. You will need a valid email address, the last four (4) digits of your social security number, and your enrollment number. The program is divided into eight (8) different learning modules and will take about three hours to complete. Each module contains a short quiz and you will have to answer four (4) out of five (5) questions correctly to move on to the next module. There is no time limit and you can retake the quizzes as many times as you need until you pass.
For students graduating in May, the next deadline for completion is June 30. Checks will be distributed the first week of September.
If you do not have a computer or access to the internet you can call or stop by the Qualla Financial Freedom office located inside the EBCI Cooperative Extension Center at 876 Acquoni Road to schedule an appointment to use a computer. Please direct all inquiries to Janet Owle 554-6937. Do not contact the Enrollment office or Budget and Finance offices for questions regarding the online program.
– Janet Owle, EBCI Cooperative Extension
