Financial Literacy and Financial Aid Resources
During the break what a great time to catch up with your student about their fall semester and to take a look at some upcoming financial related items.
The semester break can be a good time to go over spending (and savings!) with your student. The academic year is half over, so checking in with your student about whether they stayed on budget can be just the thing to help plan for spring. It’s always good to take a realistic look at where all the money is going. Taking a second look at income & expenses, can give you both time to make modifications before plans are made for the 2018-2019 school year.
Now is also the time to make sure your FAFSA has been filed for 2018-2019. Be sure to review the loans both you and your student may have taken out so you understand your options for loan repayment. Financial aid counselors are always ready to clarify any financial aid/loan questions, so it doesn’t need to be such a mystery. Don’t let loan repayment take you by surprise!
Working 10-15 hours a week is a great way for your student to contribute toward any expenses or loan interest along the way. Any money put toward loan costs now is money that doesn’t have to be paid back later, with interest! Students are urged to come in to Financial Aid to inquire about the best way to look for a job.
Financial Literacy seems to be a buzz word these days and there is good reason for this. With all the electronic processes in place now, it can be easy to lose track of what’s actually happening with our money. The Financial Aid website has a whole section on Financial Literacy under Financial Aid Resources. This site is designed to provide additional tools for both you and your student about how financial aid works, including information on student loans, credit & debit, money management and much more. These tools may make figuring things out a little easier.
The financial aid team encourages you to contact them with your questions.
509-313-6582 or 800-793-1716 or finaid@gonzaga.edu.