As a college student, you should try to make the most of your money so you can focus on school instead of stressing about finances. Due to limited opportunities to make a substantial income while going to school, managing money can be pretty difficult at times. With that said, it is entirely possible to make the most of your money allowing you to live a fairly comfortable lifestyle, and certainly not become a “starving student.
PROTECTING YOUR MONEY
Even if you are good about saving your money, keeping on top of financial aid deadlines and having a good part-time job that brings in supplemental income, you can still be the unfortunate victim of identity theft. Victims of identity theft can have their financial information stolen simultaneously, which can result in unauthorized spending and charges to bank and credit accounts. While most people, especially students, think that identity theft will never happen to them, the truth is, anyone with a social security number can be a victim. Preventing identity theft with services from companies like Lifelock, can be invaluable when it comes to keeping your privacy and finances intact.
FINANCIAL AID
There are numerous things you can do to make the most of your money during the college years. The easiest, and perhaps most important step is to stay on top of your financial aid deadlines (if you are a recipient). As you may or may not know, there are several deadlines and corresponding tasks on your financial aid “to-do list” that have to be completed in order to receive a cash award for each school year. If these deadlines are not met, your financial aid disbursement will be voided, which in most cases means having to withdraw from school or seek student loans with much higher interest rates and less appealing terms.
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SAVING YOUR MONEY
Saving your money is a fairly obvious path, but not a busy one. If you are able to limit your spending during college, you will be much better off when it comes time to pay back those student loans after your graduate.
PART TIME WORK
During college it can be very difficult to have any sort of income, but if you can work a few hours each week regardless of the type of job, and if your studies allow it, having an income can really make managing you money much easier. Having even the littlest bit of income during college can create a wave of confidence seeing money going into your bank account instead of only going out.
PARTING WORDS
Being financially secure is just as important as protecting your credit and personal information. Being responsible with your money in college will only make your transition to the working world easier down the road, and by that time you will likely have a steady income.
