April 24, 2018 — Jared Cash, vice president for enrollment and external relations at the University of Maine at Farmington, has announced the appointment of Sarah Hinman as UMF’s new Financial Literacy Peer Education Coordinator.
Sarah Hinman, B.A., M.S., will lead the expansion of UMF’s successful Financial Literacy Peer Education Program across Maine’s seven public Universities.
Reporting to Ron Milliken ’75, the University’s longstanding director of financial aid, Hinman will lead UMF’s efforts to expand its successful Financial Literacy Peer Education Program across Maine’s seven public universities. Funded largely by a $901,000 award from the state’s share of the Standard & Poor’s Settlement Fund, administered by the Office of Maine Attorney General Janet Mills, the initiative trains college students to become peer educators, with responsibility for teaching their classmates about personal finance, budgeting, credit, savings and debt. When fully implemented, the Financial Literacy Peer Education Program will reach students at middle schools, high schools and community colleges, helping Maine’s youth gain critical life skills about money management and borrowing.
As the Financial Literacy Peer Education Coordinator, Hinman will create and implement peer education curriculum, recruit and train peer educators, launch and develop the program at Maine’s six other public university campuses, and develop metrics to assess the program’s impact.
“Financial literacy is a key determinant of individual success, both during the college years and beyond,” said Cash. “We are delighted to have Sarah in this leadership role, strengthening our already successful financial literacy programming and bringing it forward to students throughout the University of Maine System. She is deeply committed to helping young people take hold of their finances and make sound economic decisions. Her work with this important initiative will make a difference in the lives of thousands of Maine students and directly enhance the state’s economy.”
Prior to leading the Financial Literacy Peer Education Program, Hinman was an admissions and financial aid counselor at UMF, advising students and families on options for financing their education and assessing their eligibility for various forms of grant and loan-based aid. As assistant director of development and alumni connections at Maine’s Carrabassett Valley Academy, she planned and executed fundraising events and communications, and managed an active pool of major gift prospects. She serves as a regional advisor with Olympia Snowe’s Leadership Institute, helping young women raise their confidence and aspirations.
“Providing Maine students with the knowledge they need for financial literacy is an honor and a tremendous responsibility,” said Hinman. “My goal is to help college students make smarter financial decisions, graduate with less debt, use the resources at their schools to reduce their debt load, and develop informed plans for how best to repay their loans. When students feel in control of their finances and are on solid fiscal footing, they are much better positioned to lead productive, happy lives and contribute to the state’s workforce and economy. That’s what I want to help students achieve.”
A Cumberland native and 2006 graduate of Greely High School, Hinman earned a bachelor’s in Psychology at the University of Maine in 2010 and was inducted into Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. In 2012, she received her master’s in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Maine.