The fact that the prefrontal cortex takes a long time to develop was brought into sharp focus for me by the man yelling behind me at the Oakland A’s last game last week.

My guess is he was in his mid-20s…and there was still a lot of growth ahead of him.  It was hard to listen to but also an important reminder that what we ask college-aged students to do (especially around their finances!) is hard, for reasons beyond their short attention span.

Most adults use their prefrontal cortex often - it is the rational part of our brains and we access it to exercise good judgment, make decisions, and to understand long term consequences.

But research shows the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until around age 25; a full two years after traditionally aged college students (18-23 years old) have graduated.

When students begin their college education, most do it with the best of intentions to pay and to pay on time.  They sign a financial responsibility agreement which clearly outlines their obligation to do so, and the consequences of non-payment.  But after that it often falls apart.  After all, most teens and their underdeveloped frontal lobes are making emotional, not rational decisions.  They understand today a lot better than they understand tomorrow. And if is often the first time they have had any real responsibility at all.

Students need more support than they are given in order to pay their bills and pay on time:

👉They need someone to tell them what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.  For many this is their first time paying for more than a pizza, and a lot more expensive.  Things that may seem obvious to an adult are not obvious to a teenager (for example: where is that account number on that check?)

👉They need reminders.  You can’t tell a student something just once - you need to tell them multiple times.

👉They need a multi-channel (and often mobile friendly) approach.  Some of those reminders will never get seen if they only go to email.

👉They need someone to explain to them not just the consequences, but also the consequences of the consequences.  Hearing “your bill may be sent to collections” is one thing, but understanding that this will impact your credit score and may get in the way of buying a car, renting an apartment or getting a job is completely different.

👉They need clarity.  A college bill can be very confusing.  Students might need descriptions of charges or explanations for how their financial aid works.  Most students will not pay a bill they don’t understand.

👉 They need empathy and understanding.  Students need to know that if they need help, they can get it.  They need to get support and know their options.

The list continues: They need structures designed to help them be successful in paying and systems that are easy to use. They need incentives and consequences to act.  They need you to be thinking about them and recognizing it isn’t their fault - they are a work in progress.