Financial Fragility, Changing Face of Academia and Their Role in the Dissemination of Financial Literacy

Abstract

Financial decision making is affected by financial literacy, having its implications spread across communities, countries and the societies in general. The importance and fragility of financial literacy has been the subject of previous studies. However, current study dived deep into public and private universities to find their contribution. Longitudinal survey approach employed withmultistage stratified random sampling technique, clustered to respondents' demographics. Financial literacy is evaluated based on simplicity, relevance, brevity and capacity of differentiation. Finding reveals that the students of the private sector became more capable of processing financial information after studying finance courses. Similarly, students having finance courses before joining universities were more financially literate as compared to others. Irrefutably, the study recommends improvement in curriculum design, teaching methodology and assessment. Higher educational institutions must improve curriculum and improvise teaching pedagogies. The findings of the study have paved the road for the dissemination of financial literacy for the growth of individuals, society and the economy Keywords: Financial literacy, Financial fragility, Financial well being, Academia.