Managing Your Money
Learning how to achieve your financial goals is one of life’s most important lessons. But it’s a lesson most people have to learn on their own, usually by trial and error.
We don’t think trial and error is good enough. Our financial lives today are increasingly complex, and the choices we make are more important than ever before. We believe the key to financial success is financial education. But as important as financial education is, too few students arrive on campus with the kind of training needed to manage their personal finances. That’s why we have partnered with the National Endowment for Financial Education to provide you with CashCourse – where you can find key information on financial basics, paying for college, college life and the world of work.
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Budget Wizard
Why use the Budget Wizard? The Budget Wizard is free and easy to use and keeps your information confidential. The Budget Wizard requires no personal information such as account numbers. Creating a budget can help you meet personal goals such as studying abroad, stay out of or reduce debt, and be better prepared for unexpected expenses and emergencies.
How does it work? After logging into the Budget Wizard, you will go through three easy steps to enter your income and expenses. If your financial situation changes, your budget can be adjusted and edited. Pie charts of your expenses will show you what you spend most of your money on. The Budget Wizard also allows you to share and print your budget.
Click the link below to get started!
Additional Financial Resources:
Individual Development Account (IDA) - a matched savings account that can help low-income students and their families save toward postsecondary education. In addition to matching savings from 2:1 to as high as 8:1, IDA includes financial literacy education, asset-specific education, and case management. Red River Valley Community Action - Grand Forks, ND
Consumer Counseling Centers of America
Credit Counseling Centers of America
The Village Family Service Center
U. S. Department of Education Guide to Defaulted Student Loans
The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Student Access site is available for students to view their loan and grant records and obtain balance and loan holder information
Federal student loans offer many deferment or cancellation options. You must contact your lender or servicer to determine if you qualify and to request application forms. More information on these options, including cancellation options for teaching and public service employees, click here.
For information on options for your Perkins Loan, you must contact the Student Loan Service Center at 1-800-698-7397 for more information. You must contact your lender on specific information for your Stafford Loans.
The SFA Ombudsman Office is also available to help student loan borrowers informally resolve loan disputes and problems. The telephone number is 1-877-557-2575, the web address is www.ombudsman.ed.gov/. More information on the SFA Ombudsman and a list of guarantee agency ombudsman offices is available at: http://mapping-your-future.org/paying/ombudsman.htm.
