Educators

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 little easier for educators.

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.

This loan is available annually from July 15 through September 30.

APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Membership required. Loan available annually from July 15 through September 30 for certified teachers, librarians, and counselors. Payment must be made through automatic transfer from an A+FCU savings or checking account to receive the 0.00% rate. Direct deposit required (minimum $300). Limit one loan of this type at any one time. Programs, rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Normal lending criteria apply. All loans subject to credit approval. Maximum loan amount is $500. A+FCU member must meet Classroom Cash account requirements including: no negative shares; all loans current; no late payments >30 days on any A+FCU loan, open or paid off; no current or prior charge offs with A+FCU; maximum of $250 in non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees year-to-date on current checking accounts and any checking account closed within the past year; no current or prior bankruptcy status.

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.

LEARN MORE

Membership required. Must be a certified educator to qualify. Programs, rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Normal lending criteria apply. All loans subject to credit approval. NMLS #405608.

Bridge Loan

The Bridge Loan helps cover your expenses when you start a new teaching job.

Call us at 512.302.6800 or visit a branch location to apply.

Direct deposit, employment, and income verification required. Programs, rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. A+FCU Member’s share accounts must be positive and all loans must be current. Membership required.

Certification Loan

Cover the cost of your teacher certification through Region XIII.

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:

Storytime Live

Elementary schools may invite staff to host a virtual book reading for students. Check out our library of financial education books.

Lisa Bullard’s Money Book Series

Curricula 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
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

*Lesson plans, vocabulary, and episode clips are all available for free on the BizKid$ website. Contact Community Education to learn how you can get access to the DVD sets for free.

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.

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.

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.

Mad 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?

A+ 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 $1,117,800 to 1,142 educators.

Interested in learning about the 2022 grant application? Register to receive emails about important updates for the 2022 application cycle.

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 proposed 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
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 is first on a joint account or the 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 one’s students.

Important Dates

February 15, 2022: Grant applications open for the 2022 grant cycle
March 31, 2022: Deadline for fund expenditures by 2021 grant recipients
May 31, 2022: Deadline for project evaluation by 2021 grant recipients
May 31, 2022: Deadline for accepting 2022 grant applications
July 19, 2022: Foundation notifies grant recipients
March 31, 2023: Deadline for fund expenditures by 2022 grant recipients
May 31, 2023: Deadline for project evaluation by 2022 grant recipients

If you have questions or need any additional information about the grant program, please call 512.533.4390 or email [email protected].

2021 Grant Winners

For the 2021 Grant program, the A+ Education Foundation awarded over $84,000 to 64 Central Texas educators.

Past Winners

Over the years we’ve awarded over $1,117,800 in grants to 1,142 talented teachers and innovative programs. Here are some of the past winners.

2020 Grant Recipients | 2019 Grant Recipients | 2018 Grant Recipients

Grant Recipients

Grant Recipients receive funds after the costs are incurred. To get reimbursed, Grant Recipients will submit additional electronic forms with copies of paid receipts via the application portal by 11:59 pm on Thursday, March 31, 2022.