The Alpaugh Family Economics Center at UC

06/15/2026

Alpaugh Family Economics Center Co-Executive Director Sue Heilmayer and StEP Director Erin Harris delivered a Financial Wellness Workshop at LCNB National Bank in Lebanon, Ohio on Friday, covering budgeting, savings goals, the power of compounding, the pitfalls of payday loans, and more. LCNB partnered with the Center, the Ohio Bankers League, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati to help attendees build stronger financial knowledge and confidence.

Joining them in support of family financial education: LCNB EVP & COO Larry Mulligan, Anthony Lagunzad of the Ohio Bankers League, Ohio State Senator Steve Wilson, and State Rep. Adam Mathews.

06/15/2026

We bring real-world, fun financial and economic education to thousands of students across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, and the teachers in those classrooms see the difference firsthand. Here's what they had to say about what their kids learned in our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) during the 2025-2026 school year.

06/12/2026

Thanks for all you do to support StEP and foster financial education in Greater Cincinnati students, Danis! StEP is only possible because of the incredible commitment of time and energy from our great business partners and volunteers.

We had so much fun volunteering at Evendale Elementary with The Alpaugh Family Economics Center at UC for the final StEP Store of the school year! The excitement was contagious as students spent their hard-earned “StEP bucks” they saved up throughout the year from displaying good behavior, attendance, and academic achievement. Many toys and gifts were purchased, and donations were made to The Dragonfly Foundation . We’re proud to support a program that empowers students to recognize the value of their hard work.

06/11/2026

In our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP), kids earn StEP bucks for good behavior and attendance, and then make their own decisions about spending, saving, and donating those earnings.

In Q3 this year, StEP students in schools across Greater Cincinnati donated an average of $36 per student to charitable organizations. In Q4, that figure rose to $156, a 333% increase in a single quarter.

We don't think that's a coincidence. It reflects what happens when students have repeated, structured exposure to earning, budgeting, and giving: they internalize it. The habits compound.

Our newest school, Oakdale Elementary, led all 20 StEP schools in total donations to charity in just their first full year in the program.

This is the case for long-term investment in real-world, engaging financial education. The returns show up in the data, and in the kids.

06/09/2026

150 people showed up for our Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) students this year.

They gave 1,591 hours of their time. They answered questions, cheered kids on as they made their own choices about spending, saving, and donating their StEP earnings, and made sure every student felt seen at the register.

More than a dozen of those volunteers were high school students themselves!

If you've ever wondered what community looks like in action, this is it. Thank you to every single one of you!

06/09/2026

Big changes to student loans are coming, and 7 million borrowers need to act.

Our Executive Director Sue Heilmayer sat down with LOCAL 12, WKRC-TV's "Good Morning, Cincinnati" to break down what's happening before the July 1st deadline.

The SAVE plan is being eliminated. If you're enrolled, your loan servicer will send a notice giving you 90 days to switch to a new plan. Do nothing, and you're automatically moved to Standard Repayment, which means higher payments, no path to forgiveness.

There's a new income-based option called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) that could keep your balance from growing, but you have to choose it.

Right now many recent college grads are about to face a dire situation when it comes to repaying their student loans.

06/08/2026

This school year, 4,300 Greater Cincinnati elementary and middle school students visited Susan Sargen Student Enterprise Program (StEP) stores, set up in school libraries and multipurpose rooms, and walked out knowing something most adults wish they'd learned earlier.

How to earn. How to save. And how to give.

Not as abstract concepts. With real earnings, rewards for good behavior and attendance, and making real decisions about spending, saving, and giving, guided by StEP volunteers who show up quarter after quarter because they believe this work matters.

We watched 4,300 kids discover that their choices have consequences, and that's actually a good thing. That generosity is a muscle you can build. That a budget isn't a restriction; it's a plan.

That's not a small thing. That's a generation better prepared for life.

Thank you to every volunteer, educator, and StEP supporter who made it possible.

06/06/2026

Check out the latest grocery price data from our research team and LOCAL 12, WKRC-TV.

Shoppers across the Tri-State are seeing another round of grocery price swings, with fresh cod emerging as one of the latest items to jump.

06/05/2026

The future of business is bright!

Our former Executive Director, Dr. Julie Heath, served as lead judge and content creator at Council for Economic Education's National Personal Finance Challenge, and the students who competed made it easy to be inspired. These young leaders aren't just mastering personal finance; they're building the critical thinking, teamwork, and presentation skills that will define their careers.

Congratulations to all who competed, particularly the students from Mount Hebron High School in Maryland, who won first place!

06/04/2026

This morning, K–8 educators gathered at Crayons and Beyond here in Cincinnati for the latest installment of the Alpaugh Scholars Professional Development Series: Using Children's Books & $martPath to Teach Real-World Money Skills.

Participants explored children's literature that introduces concepts like saving, spending, entrepreneurship, and decision-making, and got a guided walkthrough of the $martPath financial literacy platform.

Children's author (and Center Emerging Leaders board member) Courtney Reinhold joined the workshop to share her books, which were written specifically to teach kids real-world money skills. Every educator left with a copy to use in their classroom!