Dr. Philip Tew, PhD / JD

Conference Day Overview

Students will arrive to the A-State campus on the day of the Financial Wellness Challenge and take over the 3rd floor of our Student Union.

Lunch will be in our Acansa Dining Hall – our buffet-style cafeteria at a group rate of $8 per person.

Students will have the opportunity to practice their budgeting and construction skills with our Build on a Budget workshop! They will work in groups to purchase materials and attempt to build the tallest tower with limited funds.

We will also run our Real Life: Reality Fair where students will receive a randomly assigned job with Northeast Arkansas salaries and make decisions about housing, transportation, technology, groceries, etc.

Budget Simulation

Some students have been participating in our online StockTrak Budget Simulation throughout the Fall, simulating a full-time, $40,000 salary worker in Northeast Arkansas for 12 months.

We will recognize the top three overall scores, which balances the student’s net worth, credit score, and quality of life.

5th – 8th Grade Test Information

In the morning, students will take a 65-question financial wellness test with a time limit of 60 minutes. This test will cover topics like budgeting, saving, earning income, borrowing, investing, and banking.

The top three scoring students will be recognized at the end of the day!

Check out our 2026 top scorers below!