FINANCIAL LITERACY AMONG TECHNOLOGICAL HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS:

AN ANALYSIS OF LEVELS AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES

Abstract

Financial literacy is a concept associated with two specific dimensions: one linked to personal financial knowledge, generally referred to as financial education, and the other to the application of this knowledge, which translates into decisions that enable individuals to achieve the best personal financial outcome. Research conducted among populations in various countries has found that people's level of financial literacy is low, a condition that is no different for the Brazilian population. In this context, the objective of this study is to measure and analyze the level of financial literacy and its relationship with the sociodemographic profile of students in a technological higher education institution located in the interior of the state of São Paulo. To achieve this, a survey-type research was conducted, using intentional sampling, with 929 respondents out of a population of 1,268 students in the years 2020 and 2021, representing 76% of the population. With a confidence level of 99% and a margin of error of 1.6%, it can be stated that 25% of the respondents are considered financially literate, a lower level compared to the average attributed to the Brazilian population as a whole, which is 35%. Despite the study being limited to undergraduate students in a specific unit, it is relevant as it investigates the reality of young individuals who are preparing to enter the job market and embark on their personal financial journey.