The Kent State chapter of Beta Alpha Psi wants to help students save money and learn the best way to manage it.

BAP, a national scholastic and professional fraternity for accounting students, and the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants are sponsoring a financial literacy fair from noon to 4 p.m. today in room 306 of the Student Center.

The program is geared toward students interested in learning tips on saving money and getting through college with as little debt as possible.

By attending the fair, students can enter for a chance to win an iPod nano, donated by the Ohio Society of CPAs.

Members of BAP and the accounting association will be at stations around the room, providing handouts and activities and answering students’ questions.

These stations include information on budgeting finances, credit card debt, taxes, insurance, college costs, identity theft and investing.

Erin Hamilton, student ambassador to the society, said college students are a good target audience for this type of program.

“This is the first time they’re just kind of out there on their own,” the graduate student said. “It’s just a good time to start investing.”

Hamilton has been planning the program, with the assistance of the society and BAP, for about the whole semester.

The society is focusing on financial literacy this year, and it is helping with eight financial literacy fairs on campuses in Ohio through January, according to Karen West, manager of student initiatives and financial literacy.

“It’ll be an ongoing campaign throughout the year,” she said. “College students are just one of the areas we’re concerned about.”

The society’s campaign, Financial Fitness Ohio, officially started a couple weeks ago. West said the society decided to make financial literacy in Ohio a priority because he sees a need for Ohioans to become educated on finance.

“So many things that you do in life depend on your credit history,” West said.

The society will also be at the fair with more information and a survey to show how much students know about financial literacy.

BAP is involved with the program because financial literacy is a focus on the national level of the organization.

Contact College of Business reporter Seth Roy at [email protected].