Financial Foundations Coaches Students to Manage Money Well
Increasingly, students graduate from colleges and universities with debts that are difficult to manage. Baylor University, however, is committed to equipping students with tools to help them responsibly manage their personal finances.
Student Financial Foundations was established as a free financial education program to help Baylor students understand personal money management both for present and future financial situations.
The Financial Foundations office provides several key services to students:
Financial Coaching
A Financial Foundations coordinator meets one-on-one with a student to discuss the student’s personal financial situation. Students can call the Financial Foundations office to set up a free, confidential coaching session.
Workshops
Financial Foundations hosts workshops every semester covering topics such as student loans, personal budgeting, college funding, credit cards and identity theft. Seminar-based, these workshops function in conjunction with each other, so students are able to attend some or all of the workshops that apply to their financial situation.
Seminars about managing loans after leaving the University are offered for seniors. Financial Foundations also designs workshops for first-generation college students.
Scholarships
Financial Foundations offers small, one-time scholarships to students who participate in their programs and meet certain requirements, including completing an online financial planning course, submitting a budget and attending at least one Financial Foundations workshop.
Financial Education in the Classroom
At the request of faculty and staff, the Financial Foundations office will arrange a group presentation during class instruction or offer a presentation about their services to groups of students.
Financial Tools
Financial Foundations offers two online financial tools:
CashCourse is a free online program that empowers students to build financial skills to budget their money and plan for the future. The site is customizable, so students are able to make decisions that are relevant to their personal situations.
iGrad is a new program for current students, faculty, staff and alumni that Financial Foundations recently launched through the website. This free financial tool helps users improve their personal finance knowledge and habits. iGrad also offers résumé tools and career management software for students as they transition out of college and into their first jobs.
The Financial Foundations website, baylor.edu/sff, provides access to these online tools, information about upcoming workshops and contact information.