Bank of Spain launches first university financial education programme with the University of Castilla La Mancha

The Bank of Spain has launched its first financial education programme for university students at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, as a pilot aimed at improving students’ ability to make informed financial decisions. The initiative is intended for students across the university, with particular emphasis on faculties not related to economics or finance, and is designed to strengthen financial skills and support sound economic and financial planning over the course of life. The programme is structured through an agreement between the two institutions with an initial four-year term, extendable for another four years, covering the design, delivery and evaluation of the courses. In the first semester of the 2026/2027 academic year, the course "Finance for Life" will be offered to students in the Faculty of Education at the Albacete campus, with the university expecting about 500 participants. A second-semester course, "Finance for What Comes Next," is planned to extend the offer to students in other degree programmes and will include an introduction to working life and entrepreneurship. Both courses will be delivered live online, carry academic credit and be taught by university faculty who received training from Bank of Spain specialists and will use teaching materials provided by the central bank. Jose Luis Escriva, governor of the Bank of Spain, and Jose Julian Garde, rector of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, are due to meet on July 6 to review the broad lines of the programme and formally sign the agreement. The agreement also provides for studies to assess participant satisfaction and the programmes’ effectiveness and impact, while work is under way to broaden the course offer to the wider student body in future rounds.