Conhecimento e comportamento financeiro: um estudo sobre alfabetização financeira ao longo da trajetória acadêmica de estudantes universitários

This study examines the influence of academic trajectory on the financial literacy indicators of students at Faculdade Três Pontas (Fateps), exploring how progression across academic terms, exposure to formal instruction, and subjective factors relate to the development of financial competencies. The results were obtained through a quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory analysis conducted with a structured questionnaire adapted from the Toolkit for Measuring Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2022). The sample consisted of 230 students from five different academic programs and was analyzed using descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney), and post hoc tests. The average financial literacy score identified was 73 points, above the national average of 60 points, with the highest performances in the dimensions of attitudes (mean ranking of 78.20 percent) and behavior (74.68 percent). Despite achieving above-average results, the knowledge dimension revealed weaknesses (68.75 percent), particularly regarding the understanding of investments. The findings indicate that access to finance-related courses positively contributes to student performance, although it is not a determining factor for financial literacy indicators. This underscores the role of practical experiences and the socioeconomic environment in the educational process and provides valuable insights for the debate and improvement of more integrated public policies and educational strategies capable of fostering autonomy, critical awareness, and greater preparedness among young people for the economic challenges of adult life.