Financial Wellness Center

Watch the Finance Orientation video above to learn how your student account works.

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. Meet one-on-one with a Financial Coach regarding your PSU student account, re-enrolling at PSU, resolving a debt owed to PSU, understanding the cost of your degree, creating a sustainable budget, repairing credit, or repaying student loans.

Open: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

Location:
Fariborz Maseeh Hall (FMH)
First Floor, Suite 130 

Phone: 503-725-3449

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.

Meet one-on-one with a Financial Coach in person

Drop-in Monday through Friday from 2 pm - 4 pm.

Drop-in appointments are located in Fariborz Maseeh Hall (FMH) on the first floor, Suite 130.

Or call 503-725-3449 to speak with us!

If you are a third-party sponsored student (an employer, embassy, or Veterans Affairs pays your tuition and fees) and would like to make an appointment with our third-party Financial Coaches, email 3rdparty@pdx.edu to schedule an appointment.

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:

Step 1: Visit www.cashcourse.org and click Register for a Free Account under the Students tab.
Step 2: Fill out the registration form with your name and email address, and create a password.
Step 3: Select your state and school from the dropdown menu.
Step 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 Repayment Estimator - Know what to expect in repayment amounts and time frames. 
• Public vs. Private Loans - What's the difference between them? 
• Student Loan Forgiveness - A list of forgiveness programs and options. 
• 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.
• CentSai - Financial education through personal stories.
• 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 (CASH Oregon has a location within the PSU School of Business)
• University of Illinois Student Money Center Tax guide
• 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
• Claiming Tax Credits - How many should you claim, and which, and why? 

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.