​Seattle University Credit Union Initiative is a not-for-profit credit union initiative, that is entirely run and operated by students! We aim to not only provide financial products and services to the SU and underserved communities that surround it, but to build long lasting and valuable relationships with our community and our members. Our initiative elevates experiential learning at Seattle university, providing invaluable opportunities and experiences for students.

While we are not a credit union YET, we are on the path to becoming chartered (obtaining our special license to become a credit union)! We have made significant progress since our inauguration in January 2024 and look forward to all the next milestones to come.

Credit Unions are similar to Banks, in the sense that they are financial institutions that offer financial products and services, but the main difference is that Banks are for profit, and Credit Unions are not-for-profit. Credit Unions are not-for-profit institutions that have tax-exempt status, and lack of shareholder obligations, allowing them to reinvest earnings directly into their communities, rather than trying to make money off of them.

Credit Unions offer similar financial products and services as Banks but prioritize their members wellbeing by providing better rates and lower fees.

Credit Unions are not-for-profit financial institutions that care about their members and invest back into their communities by offering better rates and lower fees. We want to be an accessible resource for the Seattle University and surrounding communities, and so this structure not only embodies our mission and goal of empowerment to our community financially, but also gives us a unique catered advantage over the profit-driven banks.

We chose to be student run for multiple reasons. Mainly to 1) Offer an elevated experiential learning experience for students in which they have the opportunity to get academic credit, enhance their skills, network, and more; 2) Provide even more competitive rates and lower fees due to having low overhead from lack of labor cost.

One of the things we want to prioritize is financial literacy for the younger generations. Many people go into, and even graduate college with little to no personal finance knowledge, so we not only aim to be a resource and learning experience for students, but also want to educate students so that they graduate financially prepared! We currently have a team actively working on creating and delivering financial literacy education to our community! Follow our Financial Literacy Instagram for more! https://www.instagram.com/financialliteracy_sucui/\

No, you do not have to be a student to receive our products and services! While many of our products will be catered towards our main market of college students, we also are a resource for those looking for a trusting, caring, and reliable resource for your finances! Follow our social media to stay up to date on the latest progress!

This will be an intensive project, and so we appreciate any support along the way! Not only do we have opportunities for students to get involved within our initiative, but we also have mentorship opportunities for professionals who are wanting to provide our students guidance while building up a potential multi-million-dollar financial institution! If this is something that sparks your interest, and you would like to learn more about how to get involved or contribute, reach out to us through our "Contact Us" section on the website!

We are unique because we are an entirely student run organization, specializing in experiential learning, while also providing better rates and lower fees than other competitors due to our low labor cost! As students, we understand what students want and need, and so we become a reliable and relatable resource for students, and other community members to turn to.

We do not currently have a physical location. Our student interns work on the initiative though a class/independent study structure on campus, but we hope to eventually have a physical branch when we are chartered and further established!