FAIRWINDS Credit Union and UCF: A Partnership for Financial Freedom
FAIRWINDS Credit Union and the University of Central Florida (UCF) have cultivated a strong partnership focused on enhancing the financial well-being of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. This collaboration extends beyond traditional banking services, encompassing financial literacy initiatives, community engagement, and support for university programs. The relationship between FAIRWINDS and UCF is deeply rooted in their shared commitment to the Central Florida community.
A Long-Standing Partnership
Since 2012, FAIRWINDS Credit Union has served as the official student banking services provider for UCF, a partnership that has now been extended through 2028. This ongoing collaboration signifies the mutual trust and shared vision between the two institutions.
Comprehensive Student-Centered Services
FAIRWINDS provides a range of student-centered products and services designed to promote financial literacy and responsible money management. These offerings include:
No-Fee Student Checking Account: A basic checking account with no monthly service charge or minimum balance requirement, making it accessible to all students.
Emergency Savings Account with a Premium Rate: Encourages students to save for unexpected expenses by offering a higher interest rate than traditional savings accounts.
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Debit Card Round-Up Program: Allows students to round up their debit card purchases to the nearest dollar, with the difference automatically transferred to their savings account.
FAIRWINDS Money Milestones: A structured curriculum designed to guide students toward financial success by setting them up for a debt-free life.
In addition to these services, FAIRWINDS maintains a physical presence on the main UCF campus with a branch location and two ATMs, providing convenient access to financial services for students, faculty, and staff. As UCF’s banking services provider, FAIRWINDS offers students, faculty and staff the convenience of linking their UCF ID card to a FAIRWINDS checking account. By linking the two with a unique PIN, purchases can be made on campus and at thousands of retail and ATM locations.
Shared Values and Community Commitment
The partnership between FAIRWINDS and UCF is built on a foundation of shared values and a commitment to serving the Central Florida community. Both institutions recognize the importance of financial literacy and strive to empower individuals to achieve financial freedom.
Larry Tobin, president and CEO of FAIRWINDS and a UCF alumnus, emphasizes the credit union's mission: "Our mission is to change members’ lives on the journey to Financial Freedom. We’ve been doing that for UCF students throughout our partnership, helping them start off on the right financial path with the goal to live a debt-free life. We’re excited to continue guiding students to save more, eliminate debt, build wealth, and live generously.”
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Kevin Sowers, UCF’s Assistant Vice President of Business Operations, echoes this sentiment: “UCF thanks FAIRWINDS for continuing as the banking services provider for our students. FAIRWINDS provides solutions that help our students’ financial well-being, and they are a trusted financial advisor for many of our faculty and staff. We look forward to another five years of working together.”
Supporting UCF and its Alumni
FAIRWINDS' commitment to UCF extends beyond student banking services. Since 2005, FAIRWINDS has held the naming rights to the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center on campus. They are also the presenting sponsor of The EXCHANGE at the UCF College of Business and the sponsor of the new Master’s in FinTech Professorship.
FAIRWINDS committed $1 million to the UCF Alumni Association in 2001 to help build an alumni center on campus, now known as the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center. Thanks to a $1.2 million gift from FAIRWINDS Credit Union, in 2005, the UCF Alumni Association finally established its permanent home on campus. Since opening in 2005, the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center has become the on-campus home for more than 250,000 alumni when they return to their alma mater.
The UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center is more than a venue for the Alumni Association’s popular indoor tailgates; it has also accommodated everything from meetings of UCF’s board of trustees to political debates, marriage proposals and wedding receptions.
FAIRWINDS and its crewmembers always take an active role in Homecoming. From the golf tournament and football game to the Black & Gold Gala, FAIRWINDS crew will be there. FAIRWINDS sponsors the UCF Alumni Homecoming Suite Sweepstakes. All alumni are invited for their chance to win the FAIRWINDS Suite at Bright House Networks Stadium for the Homecoming game.
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FAIRWINDS: A Pillar of the Central Florida Community
FAIRWINDS Credit Union is headquartered in Orlando and consistently ranked as one of the best financial institutions and employers in the region. FAIRWINDS currently has $3 billion in assets and 572 crewmembers across 32 branches throughout Central Florida in Osceola, Volusia, Seminole, Lake and Orange Counties and beyond.
Larry Tobin, FAIRWINDS’ president and CEO, says the credit union has grown alongside the Orlando region’s population. “The Orlando Region is booming, and we love its diversity. FAIRWINDS operates with a mission to help its members along their journey to financial freedom by providing sound financial advice, products and services.
FAIRWINDS prides itself on being a financial partner who doesn’t want its members to have debt,” says Dianne Owen, FAIRWINDS’ executive vice president of marketing. “It exists to help members save more, eliminate debt, build wealth and live generously.
The credit union's commitment to the community is further demonstrated through the FAIRWINDS Foundation, established in 2017 to focus on financial literacy. By partnering with agencies that deliver that educational model, such as the Central Florida Urban League, the foundation is able to collectively impact and improve the community’s economic well-being.
FAIRWINDS is the official credit union of the Orlando Magic and the Orlando City Soccer Club as well as the headlining sponsor for Dr. Phillips Center’s Broadway Across America series.
Adapting to Change and Embracing Innovation
FAIRWINDS has demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt to changing circumstances and embrace innovation. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, FAIRWINDS tweaked its business model to provide all services via drive-throughs, even offering a drive-through mortgage closing. The credit union was an approved lender as part of the Payment Protection Program and dispersed close to $80 million in relief funds to its business members.
FAIRWINDS is prioritizing a shift toward digital banking. FAIRWINDS workedwith Quantum Improvements Consulting based out of UCF Research Park to research consumer finance pain points and design an interactive, mobile-first digital financial assessment tool to provide advice for customers on how to become debt free based on established milestones.
A Member-First Mentality
FAIRWINDS’ member-first mentality is infused in its culture. “The goal to stop the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle for members applies internally as well,” says Elisha González, who serves as FAIRWIND’s Vice president of government affairs and community relations as well as the executive director of the FAIRWINDS Foundation.
Building a Financially Literate Community
FAIRWINDS actively promotes financial literacy through various initiatives. "Other financial literacy efforts allowed Seminole County Public Schools Foundation to implement financial literacy curriculum to be taught to all 6th graders in the district. Our partnerships have also impacted UCF students,” González says. “By educating people early on how to have the means for a better life, we can help not only our members, but the community at large,” González says.
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