In an effort to help CU-Boulder students make smart financial decisions about their budgets, credit, school loans and other money matters, a new campus financial educator will be available to students beginning Aug. 26, the first day of fall semester classes.
The program was created by the Bursar鈥檚 Office in 2009 to provide student financial workshops and other educational opportunities including 鈥淢oney Smart Week,鈥� according to Susie Jacobs, the program鈥檚 director.
鈥淭his year our program added a new financial educator position to provide our students with one-on-one education sessions,鈥� Jacobs said.
Niomi Williams, the new financial educator, will offer the free one-on-one sessions in order to give CU-Boulder students -- and alumni -- a financial leg up in what can be a challenging chapter in many young adults鈥� lives.
鈥淲hen I was a recent college graduate, I found myself with student loan and credit card debt and not enough income,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know how to manage my finances, I was a mess. My goal in this new position is to help students steer clear of money mistakes and lay the foundation for a stable financial future.鈥�
While all individuals鈥� needs will be different, Williams said students can request a one-on-one session with her to cover basic financial questions such as how to organize and budget money, a challenging task for many people. Or they can just come in to talk about other financial issues or questions they may have.
鈥淔or many students, college is the first time they have to really manage their money, everything from paying rent to understanding how much their student loan payments will be when they graduate,鈥� she said.
Williams said she won鈥檛 be offering investment or tax advice, but she hopes she can help students excel in money management.
鈥淥nce I learned how to organize and control my finances, all the pressure and financial stress I had been feeling went away,鈥� she said.
Students who don鈥檛 want to sit down with Williams can visit the , check out the and pages, or follow the . CU Money Sense also puts on several workshops throughout the school year on financial topics of interest to students, free of charge.
Upcoming CU Money Sense workshops include:
- 鈥淢oney Matters Information Sessions,鈥� Aug. 21-23, 3-4 p.m. in University Memorial Center room 247.
- 鈥淏est Money Apps and Websites for Students,鈥� Aug. 27-28, at 3 p.m. in University Memorial Center room 353.
- 鈥淚ntro to Money, Banking and Budgeting in Boulder for International Students,鈥� Sept. 18, at noon in University Memorial Center room 425.