Founded in 1847 as The Free Academy, the City College of New York (CCNY) is the flagship institution of the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Located in West Harlem, CCNY serves over 16,000 students across over 115 degree programs, offering a diverse and inclusive educational environment. With 95.6% of faculty holding terminal degrees, CCNY is recognized for academic excellence, ranking #1 for social mobility by The Chronicle of Higher Education and placing in the top 1.2% of universities globally according to the Center for World University Rankings.
CCNY Team
Jennifer V Lavayen, Faculty
Naomi Nwosu-Stewart, Assistant Vice President Enrollment Management
Lesly Calle Juca, Financial Coach
Jaime Olmos, Financial Coach
Christine Garmeneiz, Financial Coach
Vanessa Crowe, Financial Coach
CCNY’s Course Based Model
In 2025, CCNY launched the Money Smart Financial Coaching Program™ by introducing a 3-credit personal finance course, integrating one-on-one financial coaching into its curriculum. This program is a collaborative effort between Enrollment Management and The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.
CCNY Innovative Practices
CCNY began offering its MSFCP™ course in the spring 2025 semester, as an “experimental” Economics course. The class was offered in-person, with coaching embedded in the course requirements.
After the success of the initial spring semester course, and in response to popular demand from students, the course enrollment was doubled for the fall 2025 semester, to about 60 students. The course was offered as both an Economics course and as a Psychology of Money course for students majoring in Psychology, with students split evenly between the two majors. By the spring 2026 semester, enrollment exceeded 150 students and the course, delivered in a hybrid modality, was cross listed in a third discipline, social sciences. This unique approach demonstrates how the study of personal finance can effectively expand to different fields.
To accommodate the additional students, CCNY brought on a total of four financial coaches. To fulfill the requirement of three coaching sessions, students meet with their coach approximately once a month during the semester. Prior to coaching sessions, students prepare by completing assigned tasks, such as creating a budget and checking a credit score. Coaching sessions are structured to ensure that students receive personalized guidance in key areas such as: Budgeting and expense tracking; Credit management and responsible borrowing; and Investment strategies and wealth building.
The program incorporates digital tools and financial simulations to reinforce financial planning concepts, equipping students with practical skills that complement their academic learning. Through these innovative methods, CCNY prepares students not only for academic success but also for financial independence and stability in their professional and personal lives, prepared to navigate the complexities of personal and professional financial decision-making.
Progress to Date
For the 2025 Fall Semester, CCNY enrolled 56 students. 55 passed the course and participated in at least two financial coaching sessions for a completion rate of 98.2%. Other milestones include:
- 96% of the students participated in 3+ coaching sessions
- 100% created a budget
- 73% achieved a financial goal
- 36% increased their savings while participating in MSFCP with an average savings increase of $997
- 31% decreased their debt while participating in MSFCP with an average debt reduction of $710