Financial Well-Being

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.

 

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
  • • 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 
  • • 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
  • • 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.

 

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

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.

Budgeting

Learn practical techniques to create and maintain a budget, ensuring your expenses align with your financial goals and resources.

  • • 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.

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