Dalecia Apple would buy what she wanted when she wanted it. If the Newark teen had $20, it was gone by the end of the day. All that changed after a summer of learning about savings, budgeting and the ins and outs of how to be a bank teller.

In an effort to help educate young people about financial planning and to introduce Newark stu dents, including Apple, to careers in finance, Capital One opened a bank branch at West Side High School yesterday.

"I was not good at saving at all, but now I have control of my money," Apple said, laughing. "It doesn't feel good to be broke."

Officials believe it is one of the first student-run bank branches to open in a New Jersey school, and there are only a handful of school- based banks across the country. Last year, Capital One opened another student-run bank at the Fordham Leadership Academy for Business and Technology in the Bronx.

Almost overnight, a classroom once used to teach West Side stu dents the art of woodworking was transformed into a bank. Next door, a financial education center was set up so community members can take advantage of seminars on tax preparation and money-management classes offered by area nonprofits.

In the bank, security cameras are posted on a wall behind the teller counter and a 5-foot-high safe with a lockbox for each student sits in a room adjacent to the counter. Two desks fill out the rest of the room so the student bankers can consult with their clients -- fellow schoolmates looking to open sav ings or checking accounts.

High school senior and aspiring accountant Oritseneye Oyowe can hardly wait to start opening ac counts. Though the bank had a ceremonial opening yesterday, the nine student bankers will begin their new jobs as financial service providers on Monday. The bank will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. three days a week and will be managed by Capital One bank managers.

"Budget, budget, budget -- you need to budget," Oyowe said, practicing her sales pitch. "We need to start saving now so that we can plan for our future."

Juniors and seniors selected for the program worked at local bank branches in towns including Belleville, Nutley and Jersey City and spent two weeks in a formal teller training program at Capital One's Fairfield training center. They sat through financial education classes and spent a week at Drew University living in the dorms and attending classes on the college applica tion process.

In addition to their weekly shift at the West Side branch, the teens will work a few hours after school at nearby branches. They are paid $11 an hour for their efforts, money Apple has already begun saving for college.

Since her students began the program, there has been a big difference in the their confidence level and maturity, said Gail Sherman, West Side High's school to careers coordinator.

The newfound confidence will come in handy when the fledgling bankers begin to recruit clients. Before West Side High students can open accounts, they must attend a financial planning session taught by their peers.

One of the best parts of the program is that it provides kids with a solid understanding of how money moves and a global perspective on the financial world, said Capital One Senior vice president Mike Wall. It also informs teens who may not often have access to "mainstream banks" about the impor tance of checking and savings ac counts.

"In economically challenged areas, there is not always a presence of banking so families to go check cashing or other agencies," he said. "This allows (young people) to build a more solid foundation in money management."

Apple agreed.

"It helps us prepare for the future and shows us how to conduct ourselves in the corporate world," she said.