Browsing by Author "Marx, A"

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Artificial Intelligence and Financial Counseling: Do Institutions of Higher Education Embed Chatbots in their Financial Wellness Websites?
(Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance (HEFWA), 2025-03-21) Taylor, ZW; Marx, A; Nixon, D; Ray, S; Simonds, R; Smith, M; Glass, S; Mesa, J; Becker, J; Blakeney, A; Cerebe, T; Miller, A; Enlow, J; Hughes, S; Colby, H; Kayser, T; Smith, B; Wheeler, B
This brief makes a timely contribution to the literature by accomplishing three objectives: Understanding how many and which kinds of institutions publish financial wellness information on their official .edu website. Understanding whether institutions embed AI chatbots into these financial wellness websites. And understanding whether these AI chatbots are online and available to Internet users during normal local time business hours (9:00 AM to 5:00PM). This brief builds upon HEFWA’s foundational work by exploring the presence of AI chatbots on institutional financial wellness websites. This work will help financial wellness practitioners and students understand whether institutions are leveraging emergent AI technology and how financial wellness programs can leverage this technology to render financial wellness operations more efficient and responsive for college students.
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots: Are Chatbots Programmed to Provide Financial Wellness Counseling to College Students?
(Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance (HEFWA), 2025-04-30) Taylor, ZW; Marx, A; Nixon, D; Ray, S; Simonds, R; Smith, M; Glass, S; Mesa, J; Becker, J; Blakeney, A; Cerebe, T; Miller, A; Enlow, J; Hughes, S; Colby, H; Kayser, T; Smith, B; Wheeler, B
This HEFWA Research Brief aims to fill a gap in the literature by investigating whether higher education institutions use AI-powered chatbots for personal finance and financial wellness counseling on their websites. The study seeks to answer the following research question: If institutions embed AI-powered chatbots on their financial wellness websites, do these chatbots provide financial wellness counseling? If so, what is the depth and breadth of this counseling? Answering these questions will help researchers and practitioners understand how higher education institutions use chatbots for student services, including financial wellness counseling. Given that financial wellness counseling has traditionally been provided through a personalized, one-toone model (Britt et al., 2015; Montalto et al., 2019; Schuman et al., 2023), it is essential to learn whether institutions are using technology to offer this counseling and whether college students receive timely and accurate financial wellness information through AI technology.
Financial Wellness Websites in Higher Education: Who, What, Where, and “Other”
(Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance (HEFWA), 2024-11-13) Taylor, ZW; Simonds, R; Marx, A; Mesa, J; Smith, M; Nixon, D; Ray, S; Miller, A; Enlow, J; Glass, S; Smith, B; Wheeler, B; Colby, H; Cerebe, T; Hughes, S; Becker, J; Blakeney, A; Kayser, T
This webinar was presented on November 13, 2024 as part of the HEFWA Webinar Series. The webinar "Financial Wellness Websites in Higher Education" by the HEFWA Research Committee presents an analysis of financial wellness and literacy web pages across U.S. higher education institutions. The research, conducted using IPEDS data and Google search methods, found that only 21.4% of institutions had financial wellness web pages, with a higher prevalence among public, four-year institutions. These pages are most commonly located within financial aid websites, though some are found in student services or other departments. Key findings include common naming conventions, with most pages labeled as "financial literacy" rather than explicitly providing comprehensive wellness resources. The study explores the range of resources provided on these pages, such as videos, educational software, and multimedia, noting limitations in resource offerings. Challenges in website maintenance, broken links, and limited student awareness of these resources are highlighted. The report recommends strategic content improvements, like mobile-friendly design, concise text, contact information, and multimedia integration, to enhance accessibility and engagement. Future research aims to assess program presence without dedicated web pages and analyze resource depth and staffing on these platforms. The goal is to inform HEFWA members and support institutions in developing effective, student-centered financial wellness resources.