The Alcorn State University Extension program is helping the community by extending knowledge to the people of the area.

Area CRD Extension Educator Doris Ratcliff said most recently that have focused on increasing financial literacy. She hopes to educate people on the fundamentals of finance. The outreach program for adult education focuses on understanding credit and building a better credit report.

“The overall goal for this program is home ownership,” Ratcliff said. “And a way to achieve that is understanding your credit report and how it affects the aspects of buying process.”

She said that the best way to view your credit report is through www.annualcreditreport.com rather than the free credit report sites that push you to sign up for monthly charges.

She said that many elderly individuals on a fixed income are interested in owning their own home. She went on to say that understanding credit is vital for any age because a lot of people don’t understand how missing that payment can affect your credit score. She described how those going through a period of financial difficulty should call their creditor and let them know of the situation rather than defaulting on payments without any warning. She said if creditors know before hand they might be able to work out a plan.

“Credit can either make dreams come true or makes nightmares possible,” Ratcliff said. She emphasized the need to become educated about credit and how to rebuild and fix your credit, which she said you could even do yourself.

The program is co-sponsored by Alcorn State University Community Resource Development and Mississippi Regional housing Authority No. 7 Family Self-Sufficiency Program.