A 45-year-old mother of eight, Jacquelyn was tired of being considered low-income and took the initiative to go back to school and get her degree. In one year, she obtained her associate's degree and quickly found a job in her field.

Once she reaches her education goals and earns her bachelor's degree, Jacquelyn has her sights set on moving her family out of public housing in Chicago and into their own home.

But she's not striving for this goal on her own. A Heartland Alliance financial education program is helping her build savings and financial assets.

Under public housing rules in Chicago, tenants pay 30 percent of their income for rent. So, when Jacquelyn started working part-time and making money, her rent increased significantly.

Under Heartland Alliance's program, most of Jacquelyn's rent increase is now deposited into an escrow account that will be returned to her after five years, provided that she follows the rules of the program, like setting long- and short-term goals and attending 12 hours of courses that teach basic banking, savings, credit, and other money management concepts.

When she graduates from the program, the escrowed money is returned to her for use in achieving a financial goal — in Jacquelyn's case, buying a house she and her kids can truly call home.

Help others like Jacquelyn reach their goals by making a contribution to Heartland Alliance.