Financial Well-Being
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Financial Literacy
Empower yourself with essential knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions and manage your personal finances effectively.
- • CASHCOURSE
- ○ Learn financial skills through interactive financial education online modules.
- ○ Click here to learn more about this online tool and how to access it using your Mason credentials.
- • AccessLex Institute
- ○Access to financial resources available to all college students and alumni
- ○ Online loan repayment and financial education programming to help students and graduates confidently manage their finances.
- ○ Professional development opportunities.
- • CASHCOURSE
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Financial Aid
Explore various options for scholarships, grants, and loans to support your educational expenses.
- • Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA)
- ○ Contact the OSFA to assist you with the process of understanding, reviewing and accepting your Financial Aid.
- ○ Learn how and when to apply for Financial Aid.
- • Federal Student Aid
- ○ Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), learn about different aid options, and use an estimated student loan repayment calculator.
- • Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA)
- ○ New financial aid application available for Virginia students who are ineligible to complete the federal FAFSA form, including undocumented students and those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.
- • Private Loans
- ○ You may review a list of frequently used private loan lenders here.
- • Student Loan Servicer
- ○ Learn who your student loan servicer is, and what they do in the loan repayment process through Federal Student Aid. Also, identify your servicer for federal student loans.
- • Scholarships
- ○ View and apply for Mason scholarships
- ○ View and apply for external scholarships:
Fastweb, FinAid, Scholarships.com
- • Stay Mason Student Support Fund
- ○ Emergency funding is available to students who experience unexpected financial challenges, emergencies, or sudden financial hardships AND meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the application.
- • Mason Schools/Colleges/Units
- ○ Some of Mason's schools and colleges administer separate emergency assistance funds for their respective enrolled students which may have different criteria for funding consideration.
- ○ We encourage you to contact your college or department regarding emergency assistance as well.
- • Prodigy Finance
- ○ Prodigy Finance is a private loan lender option for International, DACA, and undocumented students as it does not require a U.S. co-signer. More information can be found here.
- • MPower Financing
- ○ MPower Financing offers student loans for international students that can cover past, current, and future semesters and do not require a co-signer. More information is available here.
- • Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA)
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Health & Nutrition Assistance
Access programs and services that provide affordable healthcare and nutritional support to maintain your well-being.
- • Patriot Pantry
- ○ Access to on-campus food pantry managed by the Student Support and Advocacy Center.
- ○ Receive more information about Pantry Order Form here.
- • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- ○ To learn and find out if you are eligible for SNAP benefits that help with food purchase, click here.
- • Virginia Assistance
- ○ To learn more about SNAP, WIC, and TANF benefits, Medical and Childcare Assistance, plus more click here!
- • Virginia Medicaid
- ○ Learn more about applying for Medicaid and see if you qualify.
- • Patriot Pantry
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Community Resources
Connect with local organizations offering financial assistance, job placement services, and other vital support to help you thrive.
- • Findhelp.org (Formerly known as Aunt Bertha)
- ○ Use this free tool to help search and connect with financial, food assistance, medical care and other support services within your community by entering your zip-code.
- • USA.gov
- ○ Find information on government programs that provide financial assistance for food, housing and other expenses or bills.
- • Findhelp.org (Formerly known as Aunt Bertha)
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Budgeting
Learn practical techniques to create and maintain a budget, ensuring your expenses align with your financial goals and resources.
- • Guide on How to Budget Money
- ○ Read this article by NerdWallet to learn how to budget, choose a plan, and track spending.
- • List of Free Digital Apps That May Be Helpful to You *Fees may apply after free trials:
- ○ Mint
- ○ PocketGuard
- ○ YNAB
- ○ Wally
- ○ Goodbudget
- ○ BUDGT... and many more!
- • At no cost to you build or choose from already made budget templates available through Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.
- • Personal Capital
- ○ Offers a smartphone app for investing purposes that keeps track of wealth and spending.
- • GnuCash
- ○ A free account software desktop program for small business owners.
- • Guide on How to Budget Money
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Credit
Learn what exactly credit is, why it is needed, how to build it, and where to access your credit score.
- • What is Credit?
- • Credit Bureaus
- ○ There are three credit agencies that collect information related to your credit. Create a free account to view your credit score. You are able to annually receive one FREE credit report through each one of the agencies:
- 1. Experian
- 2. Equifax
- 3.TransUnion