Students at Abilene Christian University are managing a now-multi-million-dollar investment fund that is part of the university’s endowment. The Student Trading and Research (STAR) Fund gives students first-hand experience with investing and financial management, and their success led to the fund reaching a new high of $2 million at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.
The fund began more than 30 years ago with an ACU trustee contributing $25,000 for students to manage. Business faculty members contributed along the way as well, and by 1999 the fund totaled $100,000, and it had become a part of the university’s endowment. When the fund’s current bylaws were established in 2010, it was valued at $280,244, and it has continued to grow from there.
The STAR Fund is managed each year by about 15 students who are enrolled in the Student Managed Fund course in ACU’s College of Business Administration. Course content includes discussion about different sectors of the S&P 500, how current and historical events affect the market, and ultimately, what to buy and sell for the fund