Edukasi Literasi Keuangan bagi Mahasiswa dan Generasi Muda di Kota Makassar

Abstract

Financial literacy is an essential competency for university students and young people in responding to the rapid development of digital financial services. Easy access to mobile banking, electronic wallets, digital credit, and investment applications provides convenience but also creates financial risks when not accompanied by adequate knowledge and responsible behavior. This Community Service Program aimed to improve the financial literacy of university students and young people in Makassar City, particularly in personal financial management, budgeting, savings, emergency funds, debt management, investment, and digital financial security. The activity involved 90 participants and was implemented through preparation, financial education, interactive discussions, case-based simulations, and evaluation using pre-tests and post-tests. Evaluation results showed an increase in participants' financial literacy understanding from 48% in the pre-test to 90% in the post-test, representing an improvement of 42 percentage points. The greatest improvement was observed in savings, emergency funds, and debt management. These findings indicate that the PKM activity effectively strengthened participants' understanding of basic financial management and encouraged more prudent and responsible financial decision-making in their daily lives.