• Computer skills required for accessing the Internet
• Personal financial planning and budgeting
• Overview of basic financial products and services
• Saving
• Borrowing
• Investing
• Consumer rights and responsibilities

Access to the Internet will be provided through partnerships with corporations who will provide hardware, software and Internet access. Partnerships with community organizations will be critical to providing the physical sites where individuals can go for training to use the computer and access the Internet training on financial literacy.

Statement of Purpose
First USA is committed to a wide range of community development initiatives throughout its home state of Delaware. FLITE was conceived as an initiative in which First USA could directly link its corporate strengths in Internet technology and financial services with the programming needs of its community partners.

Supporting Rationale
First USA conducted an assessment of the needs of the low and moderate-income individuals with respect to financial education and Internet access. With respect to basic financial education, we learned:

• Financial education is not a required part of the elementary or secondary curriculum, except in a few states. Therefore, many young people graduate from high school without knowing the basics.
• While there is a vast amount of material available and many organizations are delivering basic financial education, there is still an unmet need for effective materials and delivery programs.
• Current financial literacy programs are primarily focused on helping the participants achieve a specific goal (e.g. homeownership, higher education, or avoiding bankruptcy), rather than on the life-long application of financial knowledge and skills.

Our assessment of the needs of the target market with respect to Internet access include:

• The "digital divide", or the gap between Internet use for higher compared to lower income households, is growing.
• A recent Department of Commerce study showed that both low- and moderate-income households and minority households, regardless of income, lag the total market in access to computers and the Internet.
• The study also documents that lower income households use the internet at a much lower rate in home and work settings, but at a higher rate in community and public library settings (community access centers)
• The cost of Internet access is a major deterrent to using the Internet.

Prospective Partners
FLITE will be delivered in cooperation with industry partners as well as community partners. Industry partners will contribute hardware, software and Internet access to the initiative. FLITE will also engage a statewide network of community partners. Our community partners must meet the following criteria:

• Have multiple locations in Delaware.
• Have a demonstrated ability to attract low-and moderate-income people to programs and activities.
• Have knowledge or ability in educational programs related to financial matters.
• Have long-term viability and multiple funding resources.
• Have the ability and desire to utilize computer technology, in conjunction with a planned level of support from First USA.

As of December 1999, we have commitments from the YWCA of New Castle County, First State Community Action Agency, and from Delaware Technical and Community College.

Target Populations
Our target population is low- and moderate-income individuals in both urban and rural settings throughout the three counties of Delaware. Over time, and depending on the outcomes in Delaware, we intend to implement FLITE in other communities throughout the States where First USA and Bank One have a presence.

Implementation
The FLITE web site will be developed as a stand-alone web site. The content will be developed by education professionals and with guidance from community partners. The Internet-based education will be developed with two models in mind: self study and group settings. In the self-study model, the individual PC user, by himself or herself, visits the web site at his or her option and at his or her own pace. In the group setting model, the education can be offered as an independent training class, or as a component of other existing programming at the community partner’s site.