Helping educators in and out of the classroom.
A+FCU was started for teachers and we’re still 100% committed to doing right by them.Educator Loans
Loans to make life a littler easier for educators.
| Details | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Educator Mortgage Loan | Designed for local educators Rate and fee reductions |
Classroom Cash Loan | Use for classroom supplies 0% APR |
| Bridge Loan | Available to newly hired school district teachers or administrators Meet short-term cash needs |
Certification Loan | Use to obtain teaching certification through Region XIII |
| Higher Education Loan | Use to pursue a post-graduate degree Doesn’t require half-time enrollment |
Classroom Cash Loan
The reality of teaching is that oftentimes, you have to buy supplies with your own money, especially at the beginning of the school year. The Classroom Cash Loan can help ease some of the stresses that come with the new school year, giving you $500 at 0% APR.
Details for the 2021 Classroom Cash Loan coming soon.
Educator Mortgage Loan
If you’re an educator, we offer special discounts on home loans. Use HomeAdvantage to search for homes, find a real estate agent, and receive a rebate. Take advantage of exclusive savings with TruStage™ Home Insurance.
| Details | Rate | APR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educator Mortgage | 0.25% rate reduction 0.50% origination fee (can use PlusPoints to pay 0% origination fee) Also available to refinance an existing non-A+FCU mortgage |
As low as 2.375% | As low as 2.415% |
Bridge Loan
The Bridge Loan helps cover your expenses when you start a new teaching job.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Bridge Loan | Short-term Low rate Receive up to 75% of your gross monthly income |
Call us at 512.302.6800 or visit a branch location to apply.
Certification Loan
Cover the cost of your teacher certification through Region XIII.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Certification Loan | Low rate Funds dispersed directly to Region XIII |
Call us at 512.302.6800 or visit a branch location to apply.
Higher Education Loan
Use the Higher Education Loan to pursue your post-graduate degree. The loan can be used to cover education expenses and doesn’t require half-time enrollment.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Higher Education Loan | For educators and non-educators Must have bachelor’s degree Doesn’t require minimum of half-time enrollment |
Call us at 512.302.6800 or visit a branch location to apply.
Educator Programs
Helping kids be money smart, too.
We’re committed to helping educators with financial education presentations, curricula, and exciting and engaging programs.
Virtual Presentations
It’s never too early to get a good start on your financial journey. That’s why we teach practical financial skills to students K-12. We teach money management, setting financial goals, how savings accounts work and more. And to keep things interesting, our presentations include activities and games. Our presentations cover TEKS requirements (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) for all grades and can be adapted to small and large class sizes.
Presentation Lists:
CONTACT USStorytime Live
Elementary schools may invite staff to host a virtual book reading for students. Check out our library of financial education books.
CONTACT USCurricula and Lesson Plans
Personal finance may not be at the top of any K-12 student’s list of most exciting topics. For one, it usually doesn’t involve dinosaurs. However, we’ve put a lot of time into finding the most relatable and understandable programs that are easy for teachers and engaging for students. Materials are free to schools and community youth programs in the Credit Union’s field of membership, and many are free to non-members as well. Contact the Community Education team for more information and help acquiring the materials for your school or group.
| Details | Best For | Free Materials? | State Standards | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It’s a Money Thing | Access to teacher resources Videos, presentations, and handouts | Middle School High School College | Yes | Learn More |
| BizKid$ | Award-winning TV show Lesson plans, vocabulary, and teacher resources | Upper Elementary Middle School | Yes* | Learn More |
| High School Financial Planning Program | Free lesson plans Easily adaptable to a variety of audiences | Middle School High School College | Yes | Learn More |
| Practical Money Skills | Free lesson plans for K-12 Access online | K-12 | Yes | Learn More |
| CashCourse | Specific to colleges/universities Customized website | College | Yes |
It’s a Money Thing®
Developed by Currency Marketing, It’s a Money Thing is designed to engage and teach young adults about various financial products and topics. With cleverly designed videos, presentations, handouts, infographics, and articles, It’s A Money Thing makes learning about finances fun and entertaining.
- View the It’s a Money Thing Presentation List
- Access videos
- Access accompanying presentation recordings
BizKid$
BizKid$ is an award-winning TV show that airs on PBS stations nationwide. Each episode includes free lesson plans, vocabulary, and activities for teachers, all accessible via the BizKid$ website. We can help educators access the DVD sets for their schools for free, and we can also help you pick the right episode to use for the topic you want to cover.
High School Financial Planning Program®
Despite having “High School” in the name, this program is actually pretty flexible, with lesson plans and activities that can be adapted for teaching in middle school too. The program, developed by National Endowment for Financial Education, is completely free for educators and the materials can be easily downloaded from the HSFPP website or ordered and delivered to your school. A+FCU can help educators order materials and provide training sessions for educators.
Practical Money Skills
Developed by educators through a partnership with Visa®, Practical Money Skills provides curriculum for Pre-K through 12th grade. The lesson plans, guides, activities, and more can be downloaded from the website.
- Lesson Plans for Pre-K – Grade 2
- Lesson Plans for Grades 3 – 6
- Lesson Plans for Grades 7 – 8
- Lesson Plans for Grades 9 – 12
CashCourse
Developed by the National Endowment for Financial Education, CashCourse® provides financial education resources for colleges including a customizable website and personal finance workshops. It’s online, it’s free, and it’s noncommercial.
Special Programs
Green Apple School Partnerships
Since 1998, we’ve partnered with elementary and middle schools across the Central Texas area to help kids learn the importance of saving and smart money management. For this program, we partner closely with teachers for presentations, events, and more.
CONTACT USMad City Money for Middle Schools
Mad City Money is a 2-3 hour hands-on simulation that gives middle school and high school students a preview of the adult world—complete with occupation, salary, spouse, student loan debt, credit card debt, and medical insurance payments. Exciting! Mad City Money allows participants to make mistakes and experience consequences in a realistic but safe environment. The Mad City Money program requires advance notification and works best with large groups of students. Click here to see a Mad City Money Simulation in action. Interested in bringing this program to your school?
CONTACT USA+ Education Foundation
Giving back to educators who give so much.
When great educators have the support they need to give kids a great education, everybody benefits. The A+ Education Foundation raises money for grants that go to great educators and programs in our community.
How to Help
Join the Foundation or One-Time Donation
Want to help us out? Make it official and become a member for only $10 a year. You can renew each year or just set up auto payments.
| How to Donate | |
|---|---|
| In-Person | Bring cash or check payable to “A+ Education Foundation” to any A+FCU branch |
| By Mail | Send your check payable to “A+ Education Foundation” to: A+ Education Foundation P.O. Box 14867 Austin, TX 78761-4867 |
| By Phone | Call 512.533.4390 (A+FCU members only) |
Sponsor an Honorary Grant
Honor someone by sponsoring a grant in their name. With an Honorary Grant, the recipient(s) will see the name of the grant on the certificate they receive when awarded, and contributors will be invited to the grant award presentation where they’ll be officially recognized.
Honorary grants can be named in honor or in memory of individuals, organizations, and other entities. To establish a grant, complete the Honorary Grant form then mail a check payable to the A+ Education Foundation to:
A+ Education Foundation
P.O. Box 14867
Austin, TX 78761-4867
Drawings
Win a prize, help a teacher. At drawings throughout the year you’ll get a chance to win something cool while raising grant money. For example, you could win the honorary first pitch package at the Round Rock Express baseball game raffle. Sign up to receive A+ Education Foundation emails or follow A+ on Facebook to learn when fundraisers are held.
A+ Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization as designated by the IRS. As such, all donations benefit educators and are tax-deductible to the extent allowable. Consult your tax advisor.
A+ Education Foundation Grants
Great teaching should be rewarded.
Teaching is tough. Turns out it’s expensive too. We think schools and educators who go above and beyond creating innovative and creative programs should get the support they need. The A+ Education Foundation awards grants up to $1,500 to A+FCU members who are professionally certified educators teaching Pre-K – 12. Since 2005, the A+ Education Foundation has awarded over $1,033,500 to 1,078 educators.
2020 Grant Winners
For the 2020 Grant program, the A+ Education Foundation awarded over $126,000 to 91 Central Texas educators.
How It Works
Grant money must go toward supporting new and ongoing programs, including equipment, supplies, materials, and training. The funds can’t be used to pay teachers or substitutes or for stipends and travel-related expenses.
Grants are awarded in amounts up to $1,500, with the amount based on a budget detail form submitted by the educator.
The number of grants awarded each year depends on how much the A+ Education Foundation gets in donations during the year, the number of grant recipients, and the total dollar amount requested by applicants.
Application Process
- Complete the online grant application and the Grant Budget Detail form
- Obtain your school principal’s approval
- Submit your completed online application by the deadline
To ensure anonymity throughout the selection process, the selection committee will not have access to applicant names. For this reason, do not refer to your name, your campus, or anything specific to your campus (such as district, location, colors, mascot, etc.) anywhere in the application.
Submissions evaluated on:
- Clearly-stated, realistic, measurable, objectives and goals
- Well-defined project description
- Realistic and clear time schedule
- Measurable evaluation plan directly related to goals and objectives
- Complete, itemized, and correctly totaled Budget Detail
- Adherence to all grant application requirements
Requirements
Applicants must be professionally-certified educators teaching pre-K – 12 and employed by a school within A+FCU’s field of membership. Applicants must also be primary members of A+FCU, meaning their name has to be first or only name on the account.
Educators can only apply once a year, and can only receive one grant a year. If there are multiple educators working on the same project, each one can apply for a grant. Keep in mind each applicant has to provide an individual narrative detailing how the grant will impact her or his students.
Important Dates
| July 15, 2020 | Foundation notifies grant recipients |
| March 31, 2021 | Deadline for fund expenditures by grant recipients |
| May 31, 2021 | Deadline for project evaluation by grant recipients |
If you have questions or need any additional information about the grant program, please call 512.533.4390 or email educationfoundation@aplusfcu.org.
Interested in learning when the 2021 A+ Education Foundation grant application opens? Click the link below and register for our email list.
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Past Winners
Over the years we’ve awarded over $1,033,500 in grants to 1,078 talented teachers and innovative programs. Here are some of the past winners.
2019 Grant Recipients | 2018 Grant Recipients | 2017 Grant Recipients
Grant Recipients
Grant Recipients receive funds after the costs are incurred. To get reimbursed for purchases, 2020 Grant Recipients will submit a Grant Funds Request form along with copies of paid receipts to educationfoundation@aplusfcu.org by March 31, 2021, to receive a reimbursement to your A+FCU account.