MoneyWise 101

Step one

Complete Financial Awareness Counseling at studentloans.gov.

If you have completed Financial Awareness Counseling in the past, doing so again will be helpful to review updated repayment estimates for your loans.

Even if you have not borrowed student loans to date the information about loans, budgeting, and other money management information is helpful. 

• Log in at studentloans.gov. This counseling includes five steps:
  1. Understand your loans:  Your NSLDS student loan records will be imported into the counseling. You will need to add any future federal loan disbursements and information about any loans not included in NSLDS.
  2. Manage your spending: Uses your current in-school expenses and funds.
  3. Plan to repay: Uses information based on your anticipated post-graduation income and expenses.
  4. Avoid default.
  5. Make finances a priority.

Completing task 1 without logging on

If you have concerns about entering your personal information into this government website, you may complete the Financial Awareness Counseling without logging in.

• Click on Financial Awareness Counseling on the studentloans.gov home page and complete the steps

Step Two

Register or log in as a student at CashCourse.org to fully use budgeting basics, 3 tips for finding a part-time job, and top 10 ways to protect your identity.

Budgeting Basics

• Click on the name to begin. 
• Starts with a short quiz to test  your knowledge, moves through slides that discuss the topic, and ends with an action plan and a short post-test to test how much you've learned.