Feeling overwhelmed with finances? Having a hard time understanding your Financial Aid and what comes next? This seminar is going to cover some basic information on finances and how they affect you as a student. We will discuss making a budget and tips on how to stick to that budget as well as using credit cards wisely, such as in an emergency. A shopping trip at the mall probably does not count as an emergency. We will also cover some financial aid language and how to avoid debt or get out of debt if you are there or close to. There will also be some resources provided to help you with your financial situation.
This Week’s Seminars are:
1/24 Tues 12:30pm
1/25 Wed 3:00pm
All Seminars will take place in the Student Union room 419.
Next Week’s Seminar: Learning Styles and Notetaking
Click here for the semester schedule. Seminars are mandatory for students on financial aid contracts, Bloch Scholars and Osher Scholars. Each session lasts approximately 50 minutes. Students must sign in within 10 minutes of the seminar starting to receive credit.
If you find yourself having trouble controlling your spending, it is a good idea to have a budget that you strictly follow. The following tips were collected from both the Money Management page and the Cash Course.
- Use a spreadsheet or notebook to track money coming in as well as money you spend. You can’t control your budget (or your spending) if you don’t know what you do with your money.
- To create your budget, first make a list of your monthly “big” expenses: rent, utilities, car payments, insurance, tuition, and savings. These are expenses that can’t be controlled–you know you have them every month.
- Once this is done, set aside room in your budget for other necessities, such as groceries and gas money, as well as “fun” money. These expenses can be controlled–after you’ve tracked your purchases for a week or so, you’ll know how you can cut back on the amount of “fun” money you spend on unessesary items or “on a whim” purchases.
- You can also use your budget to plan for purchases you know you want to buy, such as a new computer. Split the cost out over several months and set that amount aside every month.
- Use your credit card sparingly. It’s easy to be tempted to buy things when you don’t see the money. If you do use a credit card, be sure to pay off the bill in full before the due date–credit card companies make their money by charging you interest and late fees. Too many missed payments and your interest rates could sky-rocket! This can have disastrous effects on your credit, not to mention all the extra fees that you probably didn’t budget for.
- SAVE!!! To save money effectively, you should build savings (even if it is just a dollar) into your monthly budget. When you get a paycheck, set aside a portion to go directly to savings–pay yourself first! Another quick and easy way to save is to use a “penny” jar that you can dump all your loose change into at the end of the day. Deposit this change directly into your savings account.
The Center for Academic Development (CAD) is pleased to announce the addition of an English tutor. We invite students to come to the Student Academic Support Services (SASS) Building (north of Miller Nichols Library), Room 111 for free, drop-in assistance with grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, editing, outlining, and more.
The English tutor will be available on Tuesdays from 3:00-7:00pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-1:00pm, and Fridays from Noon-3:00pm. Drop-in for assistance or call 235-1179 during these hours.
In honor of TAASU’s 22nd annual Freedom Breakfast to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., UMKC students share what’s on their hearts and minds. What does the Civil Rights Movement mean to you? How will you leave a legacy?
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