Engage & Thrive at IU is a new initiative designed to help you thrive by encouraging participation in high-impact activities and earning financial rewards that go into a personal Fidelity® account. You choose what to do with the money: save it, invest it, or use it.
It’s easy to get engaged and get rewarded for your efforts:
Participate
Attend events, complete workshops, or take part in campus programs focused on financial literacy, academic support, career prep, well-being, and more.
Earn
After completing verified activities, you’ll earn a financial reward deposited into your Fidelity account. The more you engage, the more you earn.
Thrive
Use your account to build healthy financial habits—save for a goal, start investing, or simply enjoy the extra cash.
Sign up in two easy steps
Get the Fidelity app
Download the Fidelity Investments app, open an account, and make sure to write down the last 4 digits of your account number to complete step 2.
Opt-in to Engage & Thrive
Fill out this simple Registration Form to opt-in to the program. You'll receive a confirmation email, including next steps, to your IU email address afterwards. If you don't receive an email, it may be because you don't meet all of the eligibility requirements - see the Program FAQ section for more.
Find qualifying activities on your campus
These eight activities are open to all eligible students, regardless of campus.
Early Academic Advising Meet with an academic advisor or success coach between Sept. 2 and Oct. 10 to discuss your goals and get support.
Future Ready Complete the GenAI 101 self-paced Canvas course on generative AI by April 15 to build future-ready skills.
(Automatically enrolled via Canvas on August 25)
Financial Awareness and Education – Money Management Basics: Budgeting and Saving Learn the basics of budgeting and saving through a live or asynchronous session with Fidelity.
(Session details shared in Canvas; watch and complete post-session questions)
Financial Awareness and Education – Adulting: Credit and Taxes Explore credit and taxes in this Fidelity-led session during the spring semester.
(Session offered live or recorded with Canvas follow-up)
Financial Awareness and Education – Your Money Work: Investing Understand how to start investing and make your money work for you in this spring session.
(Session offered live or recorded with Canvas follow-up)
Belonging (choose two of the four activities below):
During Fall 2025 Welcome Week, students must attend one of the Open Houses hosted by a department in the Office of Student Life.
Between August 20, 2025, and October 1, 2025, students must attend an event hosted by their Residence Hall
Between August 1, 2025, and December 1, 2025, students must participate in an IU Day of Service organized by IU Corps. Find Day of Service opportunities here.
Engage & Thrive is a groundbreaking effort offered in collaboration with Fidelity Investments® to create a supportive environment that incentivizes student engagement and rewards positive behaviors. The program aims to empower students to take charge of their education and financial future by helping them to thrive academically, socially, and personally.
This program is open to all IU students who are:
First-year college enrollees at IU (excludes transfer students)
Classified as a full-time undergraduate
At least 18 years old by November 1, 2025
Possessing a valid Social Security Number
International students with a Social Security Number can apply for a Fidelity® Engage & Thrive account.
To sign up for Engage & Thrive you must first open a Fidelity® account and then complete the Registration Form to opt into the program. Once both steps have been completed and verified, you will receive notice of your enrollment into the Engage & Thrive Canvas course for your assigned campus.
October 1 is the sign-up deadline for students who first enrolled at IU during the fall semester. March 1 is the sign-up deadline for students who first enrolled at IU during the spring semester.
All campus activities are not included in Engage & Thrive. The specific activities for your campus can be found on the Engage & Thrive webpage.
All Engage & Thrive events will have an official attendance tracking method. In most cases, this will involve scanning a QR Code or using your individual Event Pass to record your attendance. The hosting organization may also use other options or software platforms to capture program/event attendees. It is your responsibility to ensure that your attendance is recorded.
Your progress towards the completion of Engage & Thrive activities is found in the Canvas course. You can access Canvas through One.IU. Click the link for “Grades” in the upper left corner of the Canvas course page. Please note there can be a lag between when activities are completed and when they are recorded in the grade book.
You can complete the activities in any order. However, you should note that some of the University Pathway activities, such as the Early Academic Advising assignment, must be completed within a certain timeframe.
All participating students will be assigned to their home campus within the Canvas course. Dual Canvas course enrollments are not permitted. Thus, you will not receive incentives for attending Engage & Thrive activities on other campuses.
For questions about Engage & Thrive, please email stuwell@iu.edu
Incentive FAQ
You earn contributions to your account by completing assignments outlined in your Engage & Thrive Canvas modules. The dollar amount for each assignment is listed with the assignment.
You may notice items labeled Engage & Thrive on your IU Bursar account transactions page. IU is not charging you for those Engage & Thrive items. These items are simply a reflection of your Engage & Thrive deposits being transferred to your Fidelity® account.
We have structured Engage & Thrive so that it is unlikely to impact a student's financial aid package. However, each person's financial aid situation varies. If you have questions or concerns, we recommend contacting the Office of Financial Aid on your campus for a more specific analysis of your situation and the impact of incentives and awards through Engage & Thrive.
Payments for Engage & Thrive will be disbursed after the programming period for the initiative ends each semester (Fall – December 1, Spring – April 15). Please note that it may take a few business days for the payment to be reflected in your Fidelity® account after it is processed.
No. Funds for Engage & Thrive will not be distributed by the IU Bursar’s Office. All payments are made directly into your Fidelity® account.
Yes, you must complete all activities before payments are disbursed. For instance, if a domain specifies that you must complete four wellness activities between August 15 and April 15, you will not receive a payment until all four activities have been completed.
The activities in Engage & Thrive have different assigned point values. The point values were determined by the leadership teams on each campus and the Office of the Vice President for Student Success, Enrollment, and Institutional Effectiveness. The incentive amount for each activity is reported in Canvas next to the due date.
The funds earned through Engage & Thrive can be invested, saved for an emergency, or withdrawn as needed by students.
Engage & Thrive is exclusively working with Fidelity Investments®. Any money earned by participating is deposited into your Fidelity® account. You may consult directly with Fidelity Investments® and your other financial institutions to review options for transferring money between accounts.
Depending on the amount of dollars you earn by completing incentives, you may have to pay taxes. And if you withdraw money from your account, it will be taxable.
Connecting your Fidelity® app to Indiana University with your IU credentials links your account officially to the university. This connection enables IU to deposit funds into your account when you complete university-approved activities. Without this link, the university cannot transfer those funds to your Fidelity® account.
Fidelity Investments® FAQ
Fidelity Investments® is a privately held financial services company offering a wide range of services, including investment management, retirement planning, brokerage, and wealth management. It's one of the largest mutual fund companies globally, serving millions of individual investors. Fidelity® is known for its online brokerage platform, innovative investment strategies, and focus on retirement planning, particularly 401(k) management.
Questions about your Fidelity Investments® account? Unsure about investment options? What happens to your incentive dollars once they are transferred to your account? Check out the FAQs or ask Fidelity’s virtual assistant. If you still have additional questions about Fidelity®, email studenthelp@fidelity.com or call 1-800-FIDELITY.
