Personal Finance for Native Americans
Online Classes | Tuition-free Course | $10 Application Fee
This course is a unique opportunity to enhance your ability to manage your finances and take the first step towards your financial goals.
CLASSES STARTING APRIL 15, 2026
Application Closes April 10, 2026*
info Course Description
Personal Finance for Native Americans is a course from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe-University of Arizona Microcampus covering essential topics in personal finance including, money management, budgeting, credit, saving, and investing. The course is centered on the Native American experience utilizing a Native-specific curriculum. Sign up to enhance your abilities to manage your finances and take the first step towards your financial goals!
task_alt Application Submission Checklist
| assignment STEP 1 | payments STEP 2 | find_in_page STEP 3 | email STEP 4 | school STEP 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit Application Form | Pay $10 Application Fee | Application Review | Receive Admission Email | Receive Course Workbook, Course Login & Access |
| Complete the online course application form. | Pay the $10 non-refundable application fee to activate your application for review. | The admissions team reviews your application. | You will receive an admission confirmation email with next steps | You will receive a physical copy of the course workbook as well as an email providing instructions to access the Brightspace Community course platform before the course start date. |
Important: Submitting the application form alone does not complete your application. Your application will only be reviewed after the $10 application fee payment is received.
stop_circle Enrollment is limited to 25 students.
Should we receive more applications than available seats, priority will be given to Pascua Yaqui students, in line with our commitment to support the PYT-UA Microcampus mission and enhance tribal access to educational opportunities.
Applicants not admitted in this batch will be considered on a rolling basis for future batches.
paid The course is tuition-free.
A non-refundable $10 registration fee is required to participate in the course. No additional tuition is required.
co_present Classes will be held live online via Zoom.
The course consists of five live sessions held over Zoom. A total of ten hours of instruction (two hours per session).
COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Shawn Spruce (Laguna Pueblo)
Financial Education Consultant
Shawn Spruce (Laguna Pueblo) is a financial education consultant serving tribal entities and other organizations. He draws from a diverse background of professional expertise, engaging interpersonal skills, and impactful life experience to empower individuals, families, and communities. Tribal investment training, lump sum preparedness workshops, and fraud awareness outreach highlight a few of his specialties. In 2021 he was awarded the Ketchum Prize, the highest honor from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation in recognition of his outstanding advocacy, teaching, and outreach as a champion of investor education and financial capability in Native communities.
auto_awesome_mosaic Course Format
- Five live sessions delivered via Zoom
- Each session: two hours long
- Interactive discussions and practical exercises
- Real-life examples relevant to Native communities
- No prior financial background required
verified Course Completion
- Participants who attend the sessions and complete course activities will receive a Course Completion Recognition from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe – University of Arizona Microcampus.
security Why Financial Education Matters in Native Communities
Throughout history, Native communities managed their resources to support their community's needs. Similarly, modern life requires us to manage our money effectively so that we are able to sustain ourselves and and the people who depend on us. Financial education can help individuals understand the challenged related to money management and learn how to take advantage of opportunities to improve their finances. Learning about topics such as budgeting, credit, banking, and investing, in a culturally relevant way, can help Native individuals build stronger financial habits, improve credit outcomes, and make informed decisions about saving, borrowing, and investing.
help What You Will Learn
Participants will develop practical financial skills including:
- Organizing financial records and tracking expenses
- Creating and managing a household budget
- Understanding credit scores and credit reports
- Responsible use of loans and credit cards
- Saving strategies and emergency funds
- Introduction to investing and long-term financial planning
- Setting personal financial goals
person Who Should Take This Course
This course is designed for:
- Native community members interested in improving financial management
- Tribal employees seeking practical financial skills
- Individuals preparing for homeownership or business development
- Anyone interested in building stronger financial habits
account_circle Former student
“I learned SO MUCH from this course. Before I took the course, I was afraid of facing my finances; apparently, it wasn't as bad as I thought. But this helped me face my situation and I learned the financial terms and what they mean. I also learned the process of how money flows. I am very thankful for everything that was shared. I have a goal, and with all the resources that were shared, I feel more prepared to take on my financial situation. Thank you so much!”
account_circle Former student
“I really appreciated how the course encouraged us to shift our mindset about money and helped us relearn our understanding of it through the lens of our Native communities. I especially enjoyed the sessions I was able to attend live on Zoom—being part of those real-time conversations, answering the survey prompts during class, and hearing from others helped me stay engaged. I also loved the opportunity to share our own cultural perspectives and learn from the diverse experiences of people from other tribal nations.”
ARIZONA LAW ONLINE
Brightspace Community D2L Website
Upon your admission confirmation, you will receive an email from Community D2L platform containing the login link. Follow the link provided in the email.and proceed with the following steps to login to your course dashboard.
Instructions to Set Up Password
Go to Community D2L: https://community.d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/loginh/
Click the Public Participants option
Click Set your password (as shown below)
Enter email address you shared with us to enroll in this class (this is also your username)
Enter your new password and confirm it, then click Submit
If you are having technical issues logging into your account, please contact law-disted@arizona.edu
If you already have a Community D2L account from prior workshops at the Microcampus or online – please go to the log-in page, click the Public Participants option, and enter your existing log-in credentials to access your account. If you have UA NetID, you can use it to log in only if you were enrolled in the course using your UArizona NetID. If you can’t remember your password, select "Reset a Forgotten Password".
help Frequently Asked Questions
The course is offered through the Microcampus and accommodates both tribal-community members and other applicants.
The $10 non-refundable application fee is in place as an administrative processing fee to process your application and ensure that committed participants reserve their seats. The fee is required of all applicants, including those from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. It must be paid at the time of submitting your application.
The $10 application fee is non-refundable. We cannot process refunds for application fee payments. However, your payment will be retained as a credit available for any future courses at the microcampus. Alternatively, we can apply the fee toward your friend’s or family member’s application at the microcampus.
The course is offered through the Pascua Yaqui Tribe‑University of Arizona Microcampus as a professional development certificate. These credits are separate from UArizona degree programs. The credits earned through this certificate do not count toward UArizona degrees or programs.
Yes, please submit a fresh application if the email address you entered was incorrect. Alternatively, you can email us at law-pascuayaqui@arizona.edu with the correct email address and we’ll update it in our database for you.
The course is offered fully online via zoom and the Brightspace Community D2L Platform. Lectures are delivered via zoom at specific times mentioned on your course syllabus. Your attendance is graded and weekly tasks are part of the curriculum. An instructor facilitates the online course content and is available for any questions or concerns.
You will have an instructor who facilitates the online content and is available to answer your questions and support you throughout the course. Email is the preferred method of communication. If you’d like to speak via Zoom or phone, please send an email to arrange a meeting. If you’d prefer a live meeting (Zoom or phone), email your instructor to schedule it.
All course materials are provided online, and you do not need to purchase any additional course materials.