In an effort to help University of Colorado Boulder students make smart financial decisions about their budgets, credit, school loans and other money matters, a new campus financial educator will be available to students beginning Aug. 26, the first day of fall semester classes.

The CU Money Sense program was created by the Bursar’s Office in 2009 to provide student financial workshops and other educational opportunities including “Money Smart Week,” according to Susie Jacobs, the program’s director.

student debt

“This year our program added a new financial educator position to provide our students with one-on-one education sessions,” Jacobs said.

Niomi Williams, the new financial educator, will offer the free one-on-one sessions in order to give CU-Boulder students — and alumni — a financial leg up in what can be a challenging chapter in many young adults’ lives.

“When I was a recent college graduate, I found myself with student loan and credit card debt and not enough income,” Williams said. “I didn’t know how to manage my finances, I was a mess. My goal in this new position is to help students steer clear of money mistakes and lay the foundation for a stable financial future.”

While all individuals’ needs will be different, Williams said students can request a one-on-one session with her to cover basic financial questions such as how to organize and budget money, a challenging task for many people. Or they can just come in to talk about other financial issues or questions they may have.

“For many students, college is the first time they have to really manage their money, everything from paying rent to understanding how much their student loan payments will be when they graduate,” she said.

Williams said she won’t be offering investment or tax advice, but she hopes she can help students excel in money management.

“Once I learned how to organize and control my finances, all the pressure and financial stress I had been feeling went away,” she said.

Students who don’t want to sit down with Williams can visit the CU Money Sense website at http://bursar.colorado.edu/cumoneysense. Students also can check out the Facebook and Twitter pages, or follow the CU Money Sense blog, all of which can be accessed on the main website. CU Money Sense also puts on several workshops throughout the school year on financial topics of interest to students, free of charge.

Upcoming CU Money Sense workshops include:

  • “Money Matters Information Sessions,” Aug. 21-23, 3-4 p.m. in University Memorial Center room 247.
  • “Best Money Apps and Websites for Students,” Aug. 27-28, at 3 p.m. in University Memorial Center room 353.
  • “Intro to Money, Banking and Budgeting in Boulder for International Students,” Sept. 18, at noon in University Memorial Center room 425.

-CU-