Chris Field has been named the director of the Aggie Financial Planning Clinic in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Agricultural Economics.
The clinic, funded by a gift from the Charles Schwab Foundation, will give students hands-on experience while providing financial literacy and planning services to underserved families in the Brazos Valley.
Field has taught in the department’s financial planning program for the past two years, including Introduction to Personal Financial Planning, one of the program’s largest courses. He previously taught at the Texas A&M Mays Business School for seven years.
“There’s a significant gap in access to personal financial planning in our country,” Field said. “This clinic represents what higher education should be, identifying a need and training the next generation to be a solution..”
A career of selfless service
Field earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Christian ministry from Abilene Christian University and became a chartered advisor in philanthropy through the American College of Financial Services. Field also holds a chartered advisor in philanthropy designation from the CFP Board.
His background is rooted in philanthropy, having founded two Bryan-College Station non-profits.
One of those non-profits is the Mercy Project, an international organization doing anti-human trafficking work through economic development in Ghana, Africa. The other is the College Station Marathon, a running event that raises funds for Mercy Project and other local-based non-profits.
Additionally, he was the former chief growth officer at Holistiplan, a tax planning software company focused on the financial planning sector.
Tiered, real-world learning model
Field said the clinic will allow students to move from the classroom into real-world application.
Following a competitive application process, students will advance through four levels of responsibility; delivering financial literacy presentations in group settings; one-on-one budgeting coaching; observation alongside certified financial planners; and finally, as paid student interns. In the final tier, they will help manage clinic operations and assist in developing and delivering financial plans to families.
The clinic plans to launch full operations this fall. The aim is to build it into the largest student-run financial planning clinic in the country, Field said.
The clinic will initially partner with Bryan-College Station’s REACH Project, which serves students and families facing financial hardship. By working through established community relationships, clinic leaders plan to build trust and deliver practical tools and guidance where they are needed most.
Field said the clinic reflects Texas A&M’s commitment to serving others.
“Our students gain real, supervised experience, and our community gains access to resources that might otherwise be out of reach,” he said. “That’s what being a force for good looks like.”
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