Skip to Main Content
Student Resources
Learning how to manage money is an important part of growing up. Explore our student accounts and financial resources to help students kickstart their financial journey.
Check out our easy, rewarding checking and savings accounts that build confidence in young savers, all without monthly fees.
If your student is 16 or older with a government-issued ID, they can receive a debit card without a required parent or guardian. Those under 16 will need a parent/guardian approval. No ID? No problem. Minors of any age can request a debit card with a parent/guardian present.
For a minor opening an account in a branch, we require:
Their parent/guardian to be over the age of 18 to be present with a valid Colorado ID, or out of state ID with proof of Colorado residency.
The 18+ individual must have the minor’s physical social security card with them at account opening.
$5.00 minimum deposit for savings and a $25 minimum deposit if opening a checking account.
This account grows up with you: In order for the parent or guardian to be removed from the account at age 18, the joint owner will need to visit their local branch and sign a joint owner release form.
Ready? Let’s get growing! Opening a student account is easy — just swing by your local Westerra branch location to start the process. To open an account online, students must be a minimum of 18 years of age to open alone or a minimum 14 years of age with a joint for an automated review.
A chapter of growth, change, and exciting milestones. College, cars, apartments, “real jobs”, it’s ALL happening — and fast.
The Share Secured Visa is a credit card backed by your savings, offering a variable interest rate and a limit based on the funds in your share (savings) account. With a maximum limit of $2,500, this card is ideal for building or rebuilding credit, helping you start or reset your financial journey while keeping you on track.
Every student could use a little extra money to pave their way. (You know to get the fancy ramen.) We work with trusted community partners to offer scholarships to today's students to set them up for a lifetime of prosperity.
Whether you’re looking to buy your first or your fifth car, one thing is for certain: cars are expensive. Thankfully, we at Westerra offer a wide range of auto loan options and resources, so you don’t have to spin your wheels trying to finance your new ride.
Our auto loans offer competitive rates with flexible terms on new and used cars–talk about putting you in the driver’s seat. Our pros are here to help find solutions to get you into an affordable monthly payment and up to 140% financing (to cover all the tax and insurance bells and whistles). We can even refinance an existing auto loan from someone else! Wherever your car needs take you, we’re riding with you the whole way… metaphorically speaking.
We’re excited to share our partnership with Zogo, the app that gamifies financial literacy and rewards players with gift cards. Get started on their bite-sized lessons and interactive quizzes today to start earning Pineapple Points, redeemable for Westerra rewards.
Think back to the very beginning of your financial journey. Anything you would have changed? As parents, our job is to prepare the next generations better so they’re set up for even more success. Teaching your child about money now will lay the foundation for a lifetime of financial prosperity. So, let’s get planning!
Today, you might be saving for your child’s daycare needs, holiday gifts, or back-to-school shopping. But soon, those savings goals will look a little different: Travel sports. College. Security deposit on an apartment. That first car (and first fender-bender repair costs.)
Whatever direction your child takes in life, you can set them up for success now by saving for their future. Even just a little stashed away consistently earning interest can mean huge rewards over time. That’s why we recommend parents to save for the future with a Money Market Select account. Just 10 swipes a month can get them earning up to 4% APY.
90 years ago, 8 teachers came together with a goal: to create a credit union that would support their fellow educators. Today, that mission continues. We’re a not-for-profit, member-owned community committed to seeing our community of Coloradans succeed.
We believe that kids deserve to learn about finances. If you want to build financial literacy in the classroom, we’d love to come in for a lesson. Drop us a note at engagement@westerracu.com to schedule a presentation for your students.
Every school year, we fund $50,000 to Colorado educators through our School Grant Program. Any Westerra member who is an educator of grades K-12 can apply for a $50,000 grant to help their schools—and students—shine.
Everyone knows the importance of saving money. But start looking into specific savings account options and interest-earning opportunities, and suddenly everything starts feeling a whole lot less straightforward. Luckily, you have plenty of options.
Read Article
A lot has changed since the days of stashing away birthday money and weekly allowance in a ceramic piggy bank.
Read Article
Get a quick snapshot of financial tips and tricks to help get started on the right financial foot forward.
Read Article
Online Account Opening For online account openings it is a minimum 18 years of age to open an account alone, a minimum of 14 years of age to open an account online with a joint for an automated review, and then 13 years of age and under will need to be opened in person at a branch for manual review.
A student account is a checking or savings account opened by a person under the age of 18 that requires an adult co-owner. Other than the adult co-ownership requirement, there are no differences in the terms of such an account. Student accounts under 18 years of age are subject to our general membership fees. Courtesy Pay is not offered to primary accounts under 18, but forms of overdraft protection are available.
For the parent or guardian to be removed from account at age 18, both parties will need to visit their local branch and sign a joint owner release form.
Westerra Debit Card: Age 16 or older with a government issued ID, may receive a debit card (no parent/guardian present required).Minor of any age and does not have a government issued ID, parent/guardian must be present and request the debit card. Minor under 16 that does have a government issued ID will still require parent/guardian approval.
Share Secured Visa’s are subject to the terms of the Visa Select Card with the exception that maximum card limit ranges from $500-$2,500. The limit must be 100% pledged by funds in a share account. Westerra Credit Union will pull a credit report when a shared secured Visa is requested. Must be 18+ years of age to apply for credit card. 25-day grace period on purchases to avoid interest charges** For complete terms, see the full Credit Card Disclosure
+Your APR is the Prime Rate plus a margin of 14.40% APR* for the Credit Builder VISA™ based on your credit qualification. APRs will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Published APR is effective as of 6/1/2023.
Foreign Transaction Fees are 2.00% of the U.S. dollar amount of the foreign transaction for foreign currency conversions, 0.80% of the U.S. dollar amount of the foreign transaction for International Service Fee (ISA). Cash Advance Fee 2%.
*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Introductory balance transfer rate is valid for 12 billing cycles from account origination on balances transferred to a Visa Signature® or Visa® Select card from other financial institutions.
*APY= Annual percentage yield, ATM and cash advance transactions do not count toward the debit card transaction requirement. Points not earned for cash back, ATMs or PIN based transactions.
*Certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. In order for coverage to apply you must use your covered Visa card to secure transactions. Please refer to your Guide to Benefits for further details.
Visa and the Visa logo are registered trademarks of Visa International Services Association. Apple Pay and the Apple Pay logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Pay and the Google Pay logo are a trademarks of Google Inc.
Samsung Pay and the Samsung Pay logo are registered trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Smart Money
*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 5/1/2024. The interest rate and APY may change without notice after the account is opened. Fees may reduce earnings on the account. $5 prime share deposit required for membership. A $25 opening deposit is required for a Smart Money Checking account. 6.00% APY applies to average daily balances up to and including $2,000. For average daily balances greater than $2,000, the APY may range from 0.05% to 3.00%. If requirements** are not met, all balances will earn .01% APY. In order to get the higher rates, you must meet certain requirements each month. If you don’t meet the requirements, an APY of 0.01% APY applies to all balances. Limit one Smart Money Checking Share per account. Membership eligibility required. Federally Insured by NCUA.
Points not earned for cash back, ATMs or PIN based transactions.
**The requirements needed to receive the dividend rate are (i) minimum average daily balance that corresponds to the desired rate, (ii) 16 combined debit/credit card purchase transactions that post and clear in the statement month (a) a statement month ends at 6pm MST on the last calendar day of the month, as (b), on the same membership account, (iii) a minimum of one (1) direct-deposit or Automatic Clearing House (ACH) of at least $500 per month, (iv) enrollment in online statements. ATM and cash advance transactions do not count toward the debit card transaction requirement. Requirements are waived the first statement cycle the new share is opened and will earn the dividend rate that corresponds to each minimum balance tier. IRA, Roth IRA, and Business accounts are not eligible for this product. Rates subject to change without notice. See Membership and Account Agreement for Nature of Dividends under our resource tab.
*** Qualified members are automatically enrolled in Opt-IN for ACH and draft checks but are not automatically enrolled for onetime and recurring debit card transactions. Accounts must be brought positive within 30 days of going negative.” Courtesy Pay Opt-in
Money Market Select- The dividend rate paid is based on the minimum average daily balance to the corresponding tier in any statement month that the specific account requirements are met. If the requirements are not met, the dividend rate of .05% APY is applied for the statement month. The statement month ends at 6pm MST on the last calendar day of the month. The requirements needed to receive the dividend rate are (i) minimum average daily balance that corresponds to the desired rate, (ii) 10 combined debit/credit card purchase transactions that post and clear in the statement months (i), on the same membership account. ATM and cash advance transactions do not count toward the debit card transaction requirement. Requirements are waived the first statement cycle the new share is opened and will earn the higher dividend rate. IRA, Roth IRA, and Business accounts are not eligible for this product. Rates subject to change without notice. Membership eligibility required.
Visa and Visa logo are registered trademarks of Visa International Services Association. Apple Pay and the Apple Pay logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Pay and the Google Pay logo are a trademarks of Google Inc. Samsung Pay and the Samsung Pay logo are registered trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
*APY= Annual Percentage Yield; APY accurate as of 12/01/2024; fees may reduce earnings.
Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. National Credit Union Administration, a U.S. government agency.
Equal Housing Opportunity.
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 9408