When students step into The University of Tulsa’s Student Investment Fund (SIF) classroom, they aren’t running simulations – they’re managing a live portfolio now valued at more than $9 million.
Founded through support from Friends of Finance, the SIF gives students hands-on experience managing real assets across equity and bond portfolios. Each semester, student teams analyze market sectors, evaluate risk and make buy-and-sell decisions that are executed through the university controller’s office.
“It’s not a hypothetical exercise,” said Associate Dean Tally Ferguson, instructor and faculty adviser for the fund. “Every one of those trades was made by students trained right here in the Collins College of Business. They’re effectively managing a mutual fund for a whole semester, and not many people entering the workforce can say, ‘Yeah, I managed $9 million.’”
The fund began in 1998 with nearly $400,000 in seed money and $1.6 million in additional donations from Friends of Finance over the next 17 years. Since then, UTulsa students have distributed all the initial investment, while growing the fund to its current record high.
Students are divided into committees such as Macro, Portfolio Accounting & Risk and Operations, mirroring the structure of a professional investment firm. They debate sector allocations, present analysis and defend recommendations in class.
“For me, it’s been eye-opening,” said Nick Elliott, a senior applied mathematics major. “Every choice matters. One percent of nine million is still a lot of money. It’s neat seeing how much goes into each decision and learning to make those choices as a team.”
For Jonathan Lee, a computer science major, the experience bridges disciplines. “I’m passionate about quantitative finance, it’s where computer science meets finance,” he said. “Even if you’re not a finance major, this is a great opportunity to learn from your peers and understand how to manage money.”
Since its founding, the SIF has distributed more than $1 million in scholarships to business students, funded entirely by portfolio returns. “Many of our analysts are Friends of Finance scholars, paid for by the very money they’re helping to grow,” Ferguson said. “One of the best ways to get prepared for the workforce is to do the work before you ever go into the workforce.”