For the unbanked who want to get a checking account, it can be a challenge finding a banking education training program that can sometimes be a prerequisite for obtaining a “second chance checking account.” One such program, the Get Checking Program sponsored by the parent company of ChexSystems ended January 1, 2009.

Fidelity National Information Services Inc, a Jacksonville-based provider of financial services to banks and other lending institutions, apparently did not wish to keep the program going, even though it helped people who were on the ChexSystems list obtain a checking account after some training on how to avoid the problems that got them on the ChexSystems list in the first place.

A new nonprofit program, CheckingNetwork USA, would seem to hold promise as alternative, but 1 1/2 years after the demise of “Get Checking” little information is available to potential users. According to the group’s Facebook page, CheckingNetwork USA is a “…financial education, certification and checking account access program designed to help individuals without a banking relationship gain financial knowledge and access to mainstream financial products and services.” But the group only has 24 fans. and the page was last updated several months ago.

Some banks that offer “second chance checking” accounts offer financial education workshops. Similarly, some community colleges offer classes on financial literacy or education on how to maintain bank accounts in good standing and organize household finances.

Of course, many people who have trouble getting a checking account turn to prepaid debit cards as an attractive alternative.