The rector of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, José Julián Garde, and the governor of the Bank of Spain, José Luis Escrivá, have signed an agreement to implement a financial education programme at the Albacete campus, which will start in the 2026-2027 academic year.
The Bank of Spain and the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) sealed an agreement on Monday to launch a university financial education programme that will begin in the 2026-2027 academic year at the Albacete campus. The initiative, signed by Governor José Luis Escrivá and Rector José Julián Garde at the Cibeles headquarters, aims to train between 500 and 700 students in its first year.
A Forward-Looking Agreement
The four-year agreement, which can be extended for another four years, establishes the framework for collaboration in the design, delivery, and evaluation of this educational offering. During the meeting, Escrivá and Garde reviewed the progress made, such as the recent training day for teachers, and defined the next steps for the courses.
The pilot programme will be developed at the Faculty of Education in Albacete. Technicians from the Bank of Spain have already trained UCLM teachers, mainly from the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences, who will be responsible for delivering the content. The goal is to strengthen students' financial competencies, facilitating better-informed decision-making and economic planning throughout their lives.
Two Courses for the Upcoming Academic Year
In the first semester of the 2026/2027 academic year, the course 'Finances for Life' will be offered, aimed at students from the Faculty of Education. In the second semester, the offering will be expanded with the programme 'Finances for What’s Coming', open to students from other disciplines. The project marks the beginning of a new phase in the Bank of Spain's financial education strategy, focused on young people, and aims to become a model for extending this initiative to other universities.
“Financial education is a fundamental tool for citizens to make informed decisions and manage their resources better,” stated Governor Escrivá during the signing. For his part, Rector Garde highlighted that “UCLM is committed to comprehensive training that includes financial competencies, key to the personal and professional development of our students.”
For students, this training represents an opportunity to acquire practical skills that will help them manage their personal finances, from savings planning to understanding basic financial products. The programme could also serve as a reference for other Spanish universities interested in replicating the model.
The Bank of Spain has already provided specific training to UCLM teachers, ensuring that the content is up-to-date and aligned with the real needs of young people. The initiative is part of the agency's strategy to improve the financial culture of the population, especially among young people, who often lack basic financial knowledge.
The programme will start in September 2026, with the expectation of reaching 500-700 students in its first year. If the results are positive, it could be expanded to other UCLM campuses and to other universities in the country.
You may also like
