William Elliott, III, Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh and a Faculty Associate at the Center for Social Development at Washington University’s Brown School, will present his research on children’s savings and educational outcomes at 1:00 pm, April 8, 2011, in Brown Lounge. Elliott, who earned his doctorate from the Brown School in 2008, will explore how owning a savings account gives children a sense of entitlement to a college education. 
Elliott’s research on savings and college success is gaining traction nationwide. In a message announcing a new partnership to improve financial education, savings, and college access for low- and moderate-income students, Education Secretary Arne Duncan cited Center for Social Development research by Elliott and co-author Sondra Beverly that connects savings accounts and college attendance. This study, forthcoming in the Journal of Children and Poverty, found that among youth who expected to graduate from a four-year college, those with a savings account in their name were approximately seven times more likely to attend college than those with no account. This finding was also cited on the Department of Education’s blog and in a recent article on college savings published in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The lecture is free and open to the public. CEUs are available for a small fee.