Ask the experts: Tips for financial wellness

By Kaeshon King | Columnist

It is time to prepare for a new semester. With a new semester comes new fees and things you need to get for school, all of which add up quickly. However, there are things you can do to manage these fees to take some of the stress off of yourself.

The Director of Student Financial Aid, Debbie Turner, gives students three strong tips to help manage their fees.

“Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),” said Turner.

The sooner you get the application done, the faster it will process and you will not have to worry about making the deadline since it can be completed ahead of time.

Turner’s second tip is to “only borrow federal loan for the amount needed to pay your bill to keep loan indebtedness low.” Sometimes, you will be awarded with more than you need for school.

You should only take what you need as there are some loans that you have to pay back once you graduate or leave school. Doing that will keep your costs low when giving back to the school and make that payment plan more manageable when the time comes.

Finally, Turner recommended to “look into using university payment plans for fall and spring semesters.”

The payment plan allows you to pay over four months and it is interest free. The sooner you pay the student loans back, the better off you will be.

If you combine this step with tip two, your cost should be relatively low.

There are additional things you can do as well. First, you can get an internship and/or a part time job.

Internships can be paid, which means you are gaining experience in the field you want to pursue and earning money doing it. That’s a winwin situation.

A part-time job is good because any type of money coming in can help with school.

Along with the internship, consider applying for a scholarship. It is free money that is just waiting to be collected by a student, and that could be you.

If you take all of these tips and apply them, you should be able to manage your school funds a lot better.

If you have any questions for the financial aid office, you can contact them via email at osfa@augusta.edu or their phone number at 706-737- 1524.

Contact Kaeshon King at kaeking@augusta.edu.

This story is published in the Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 print edition of The Bell Ringer on page 5.