Money management is more than the balance you have in your bank account. It’s about your financial mindset and the daily financial decisions you make.
Student Money Management is here to help you as you navigate your financial journey and take control of your finances. We are dedicated to your financial well-being providing you with the resources, tools and financial education needed to be fiscally responsible today and after graduation.
The program is based on four pillars:
- Inform – Provide students with resources and tools to make informed financial decisions
- Empower – Through financial education, students will be empowered to take control of their finances both now and after graduation.
- Inspire – Our goal is to inspire positive financial habits that will last a lifetime.
- Support – Provide students with support through workshops and one-on-one financial coaching sessions
- CashCourse – A free online financial education resource designed specifically for college and university students
- Getting started – NerdWallet provides some advice on how to start budgeting.
- Budgeting apps – Personal finance tools that make it easy to see how much you're spending
- College Financial Success Plan – Learn how to create a budget for each semester
- Powerpay – A debt-elimination tool
- Financial resources – Links to helpful websites
- Financial tools
- Mint – Set a budget, track your goals and do more with your money
- Money-saving tips
- Student budget spreadsheet – Download and use Excel spreadsheet to track your budget
- The Envelope System – Know exactly how much money you have left in a budget category just by taking a quick peek in a corresponding envelope
- Truist Bank – Student Money Management has partnered with Truist to provide banking needs and financial literacy education.
Many retailers and programs offer discounts to students for signing up. The sites are free to join, and the only prerequisite is that you must have a valid .edu email address.
- ID.me – ID.me is a digital identity verification service. It not only verifies students' status online but also offers a variety of online student discounts from it nearly 1,100 partners. The discounts include offers on accessories, appliances, car rentals, books and magazines, electronics, exercise and fitness, clothing and more.
- UNiDAYS – UNiDAYS is a deals site that allows you to save on more than 150 top brands in categories such as fashion, health and fitness, beauty, lifestyle, food and technology. Discounts vary based on location.
- StudentRate – This student discount site gives you access to offers on clothing, beauty and cosmetics, hotel and travel, tech, school supplies and more.
- Student Beans – This free app, available on Apple and Android platforms, gives students instant access to the latest online student discounts based on their locations.
- Amazon – With Amazon Prime Student, college students can enjoy a six-month trial, which includes free two-day shipping on over 50 million products, unlimited streaming of Prime movies and TV shows, unlimited photo storage with Prime photos and other benefits. When the trial period ends, college students can still enjoy 50% off the price of an Amazon Prime subscription, as well as access to all Prime benefits.
- Spotify – Spotify's Premium for Students allows them to pay half price for a Premium subscription for a year, which can be renewed every 12 months for the next three years – as long as you’re eligible. You can also get access to Premium plus Hulu and Showtime for $0.99 for the first three months, after which the price reverts to $4.99 for the remaining months.
- Microsoft – Students are eligible for Office 365 Education, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, plus Microsoft Teams and other classroom tools for free. Students also can get deals like $200 off a Dell Inspiron 15 laptop and 10% off Surface accessories, as well as other exclusive benefits.
- Norton – Once you unlock your Norton student discount with your Student Beans ID, you can save up to $65 on a one-year subscription, which covers antivirus, security and Wi-Fi privacy.
- Apple – Apple Education Pricing allows current and newly accepted college students to save 5% off most Apple products. Students can save up to $200 on a new Mac computer, iPad, Apple software and other selected accessories.
- HP – With HP's Student Program Offers, college students can enjoy a two-year warranty on PCs, accidental damage protection, exclusive student pricing and pre-installed Office software. Students can also receive 35% discounts and free delivery with HP online.
- Lenovo – Students can save more on their laptop purchases with Lenovo, which offers 25% off ThinkPad laptops and 20% off all other Lenovo products (excluding third-party products) and free shipping. Discounts may vary depending on your school, and your student identity will be verified before you can complete the purchase.
- Logitech – Logitech has student deals and discounts up to 25% off electronics purchases. Use your .edu email address at check out to get discounts on a broad range of products.
- GEICO – Students can save $100 to $200 on their auto insurance policy and enjoy a price slash of about 15% on certain coverages from GEICO. To qualify, you must be a full-time high school or college student between the ages of 16 and 25 and have a "B" average (3.0 GPA) or higher. Apart from the "good student" discount, drivers in honor societies and those who haven’t been involved in a crash within the last five years can also enjoy money-saving discounts.
- State Farm – Students can save as much as 25% off their auto insurance policy with State Farm – even after they graduate from college up to age 25. To qualify, students must maintain a "B" average (3.0 GPA) or be part of the top 20% of your class.
- Allstate – Students can save up to 35% on auto insurance with Allstate’s Smart Student Discount. To qualify, students must be single, below the age of 25, be enrolled full time and have good grades.
- Verizon Wireless – Get close to 19% off voice/data plans and 25% off accessories depending on your university.
- AT&T – Save on your wireless service monthly plans, devices and more with the AT&T Signature Program.
- Sprint – Enjoy monthly service discounts and extra unlimited data for an additional $10 per month with the Sprint Works Program.
- Restaurants – McDonald's, Burger King, Arby's, Subway, Pizza Hut and Papa John's all off 10% to 20% student discounts, while Chick-fil-A and Chipotle offer students free drinks.
More information on student discounts can be found at Money Done Right.
Your credit is important because it is used to determine your eligibility for purchasing a house, buying a car or even getting a job. So whether you are trying to establish, maintain or rebuild credit, many resources exist to help you. Understanding how credit works is key. Use these tools and resources to help you navigate credit.
Credit scores
- FICO Credit Scores (credit and identity theft monitoring. There is a fee associated with this service)
- Credit Karma (credit monitoring)
- Dispute items on your credit report
Credit reports
It's important to review your credit report regularly. You can check it for free weekly, and you can obtain a free copy from each of the three main credit bureaus once a year at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Equifax
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788
888-298-0045 (for customer care)
800-349-9960 (for security freezes)
www.equifax.com - Experian
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013
888-397-3742 (for disputes)
www.experian.com - TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016-2000
800-916-8800
www.transunion.com
Students can get involved with money management in the following ways:
- Join $avvy Eagles Financial Hub (hosted in MS Teams), your go-to community for mastering money management while having fun. Students participate in monthly financial challenges, share their progress, ask questions and exchange tips and resources to take control of finances.
- Share your story about how Student Money Management has made a difference in your financial journey. Whether through lessons learned, personal interactions or the progress you've achieved, sharing your experience can motivate and guide fellow students on their path to financial success.
Student Money Management provides virtual and in-person sessions and presentations by appointment only. For presentations requested after 5 p.m. or at locations other than Southern Wake Campus, Scott Northern Wake Campus or Wake Tech East, or for more information, email [email protected].
For more information, contact Student Money Management Coordinator Tiffany Cogdell at [email protected] or 919-532-5658.
