Financial Wellness Center

For many college students, money is an extremely important and sometimes stressful topic. We know that understanding how to manage money is an important part of student success. Through education, awareness, and mentoring, the Financial Wellness Center is designed to give all students the tools and resources needed to empower them to make healthy financial decisions.

April is Financial Literacy Month! Please see our schedule of events:

April 7th Master Your Financial Well-Being with Dr. Melody Bell
12:30PM-1:30 PM SMSU 294 [RSVP link]

April 14th Werk Your Wallet Drag Queen Bingo
12:40-1:30 PM SMSU 296/8 [RSVP link]

April 20th Budgeting Basics Career Week Kick Off
12:40-1:30 PM FMH 1-101 [RSVP on Handshake!]

April 21st First Time Home Buyers Class
12:15-12:45 PM FMH 1-101 [RSVP link]

April 27th-May 1st Scavenger Hunt
Start at the FWC to learn how you can win!

Learn the basics of budgeting, saving, and investing with our featured book collection for Financial Literacy Month. View the full list here.

Spring Term Events:

Financial Starter Pack (Registration Link)
   Student Loan Repayment - April 28th, April 30th, May 26th, May 28th
   Budgeting Basics - May 5th, May 7th
   Savings Made Simple - May 12th, May 14th
   Understanding Credit - May 19th, May 21st
Investing 101 - June 2nd (Registration Link)

Appointments:

Appointments with a Financial Wellness Coach are available. In-person and virtual appointments are available for students to schedule. Use the booking calendar.  

What the FWC can help with:

• Understanding tuition and fees or estimating future term costs
• Basic student loan and repayment information
• Identifying options for filling gaps in funding (example: reducing credit load, taking loans etc.)
• Help completing the FAFSA/ORSAA
• Basic Financial Aid/FAFSA/ORSAA/Scholarship questions (complex situations will be referred to FA counselors)

For help with late fees, past due balances and registration holds please contact Student Financial Services

Some more complex financial aid questions may be better answered by a Financial Aid counselor. If you are unsure where to go for help please contact us at financialwellness@pdx.edu. To view current FA counselor drop in hours or to book an appointment please visit their contact page

We cannot provide tax services. For info on free or reduced tax preparation assistance in Oregon please visit this page.

At this time we are currently offering group education and presentations on financial literacy topics and FAFSA completion. Please send us an email at fwc@pdx.edu or complete our Presentation Request Form.

Location:
Fariborz Maseeh Hall (FMH)
First Floor, Suite 130 
Open: Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm
Phone: 503-725-3461
Email:  fwc@pdx.edu

If you are inquiring about your Financial Aid offer, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 503-725-3461 or askfa@pdx.edu.

Online Personal Finance 

Students have free access to CashCourse.org and can utilize their online personal finance tools to help build real-life-ready financial skills. 

Here’s how to register for your free CashCourse account:

1. Go to CashCourse and select Students.
2. Under "Students" select "register for a free account."
3. A pop-up form will appear, fill out the form and select "Register."
   1. The student access code is: 3743
4. Start using the CashCourse website!

Resources

The Financial Wellness Center is committed to connecting students and their families with resources for financial education. Below are links to PSU-specific services, as well as links to other outside resources.

• PSU: CARE Team - Support for PSU students in distress financially, emotionally, or otherwise.
• PSU: Financial Aid - Information and assistance regarding federal student aid.
• PSU: Scholarships - Search & apply for PSU scholarships.
• PSU: Student Legal Services - Free legal counseling for current PSU students.
• PSU: Food Assistance- Information on food resources available to PSU students.
• PSU: Committee for Improving Student Food Security (CISFS) - Working to improve food security.
• PSU: Committee for Improving Student Food Security - The FWC's partner in providing sustainable food sources  for PSU students and community members.
• PSU Short Term Loan - For students that are registered for at least one credit for the current term and meet the eligibility requirements. 

Credit Education

• Credit Karma - How to build your credit.
• Choosing a Credit Card - How to decide which one is right for you.
• helpwithmybank.gov - Helpful Q&A

Debt Education

• Federal Student Aid - Loan repayment plans.
• Loan Simulator - Know what to expect in repayment amounts and time frames.
• Public vs. Private Loans - What's the difference between them?
• Student Loan Forgiveness - Forgiveness information and resources
• Student Loan Repayment Checklist - Stay on track to be on top of your debt.
• Nerd Wallet - Getting and staying out of credit card debt.
• Student Loan Hero - Information about managing and living with student loans. 

Financial Wellness

• The College Investor - Investing and personal finance management tips.
• College Parents of America - Advice for the parents of college students.
• TED Talk on Financial Literacy - Mellody Hobson on financial literacy.
• America Saves - Tips for understanding and managing your financial situation.
• Better Money Habits - Personal finance management information.
• Cash Course - A free course in financial wellbeing.
• Consumer Finance Test - Answer some simple questions to analyze your financial well-being.

Money-Saving Resources 

• Budget Bytes - Cheap and delicious meal recipes.
• Portland on the Cheap - Have fun for less in Portland.
• Two Cents - Tips and tricks for saving money.
• Money Crashers - Everyday savings ideas. 

Tax Resources

• How to Access Your 1098-T
• CASH Oregon
• IRS eFile - Free IRS tax filing.
• Tax Tips - Helpful tax information specifically for college students and their parents.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Tax Time Savings Tips

College Cost Meter

Each year you’re enrolled at Portland State University, we’ll send you an email with information about your total federal student loan debt that you have borrowed so far, as well as the total amount of tuition and fees you have paid to Portland State. The communication will include:

• Your Total Federal Student Loan Debt: Your aggregate student loan borrowing amounts will be included. This means all federal student loans that you have borrowed, even if you borrowed loans at another school will be included. This will not include private student loans or credit card debt and the interest rate shown in the email will be estimated. Log into your federal student loan dashboard at studentloans.gov to review your official federal student loan totals and interest rates
• Your Total Tuition and Fees: The total amount in tuition and fees that you have paid to Portland State will be included. This will not include housing charges, transportation charges, or other non-tuition charges paid to the University.
• Your Estimated Federal Student Loan Repayment: The repayment estimation is based on the Standard Repayment Plan, which is a 10 year repayment plan. Other repayment plans are available which take your income into account when calculating your monthly payment. Use the Federal Student Loan Repayment Estimator to calculate your monthly repayment for all nine repayment plans.
• Student Loan Limits: This communication will include a calculation the percent of the aggregate student loan limit that you have borrowed so far. Review the Federal Student Loan Limits.

The Financial Wellness Center is an educational service only, no advice is provided.

The Financial Wellness Center is an educational service only. We do not provide professional investment, legal, or tax advice. The information provided is for general educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your investment, legal, and/or tax advisors or to be the basis of specific trading or investment activities. If you need investment, legal, and/or tax advice, please consult with one of these professionals directly.

The links to third-party financial resources are provided as a convenience for informational purposes only.  Neither Portland State University or its Financial Wellness Center endorses or approves any of the products, services or opinions of the entities or individuals associated with these links. Portland State University and its Financial Wellness Center bear no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of any external site associated with the links provided or any subsequent links.