Saving Money on College - The Importance of Saving

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1 THE DRUM: Ohio University Upward Bound Winter Newsletter The Importance of Saving At the Financial Aid workshop in February, the statement I plan to save money for college received a unanimous positive response from Upward Bound students. So why is it that saving is so important and where should you begin? UB students unanimous response to saving money for college at the Financial Aid February workshop. Although saving enough money to cover the entire cost of college tuition is very unlikely, there are other college expenses that you can begin saving for. There are many hidden college expenses like books, food, study abroad, internships, etc. (See blog for more details). When expenses like these start to pile up on top of tuition costs, it can become a bit unbearable. Also, if you re already taking out loans for tuition, you don t want to have to take out even more for other expenses. Therefore, having money saved up can prevent a lot of stress and worry. It s never to early to start saving for future college costs. Putting money into a savings account on a routine basis will not only create a solid base fund, but it also can gain interest over the years. Saving money while you re in college is important too. FastWeb gives a list of 30 ways to cut down expenses and save your money while you re on campus! Caysee Kisor, a junior UB student, said that is important to save for college to cover books, other general expenses, and to have a cushion incase something financial comes up unexpectedly. At the February workshop, students got into groups to tackle a subject of finances to the rest of the students. To the right, Caysee gives her group s presentation on Can I write a check?

2 February January December workshops COLLEGE EXPERIENCE & NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION The December workshop provided UB students with a plethora of information on many different colleges. Before lunch, all of the new students had their orientation next door, while current students discussed different factors to consider when applying to college, including size, costs, majors, and more. We also played a game in which different schools were posted on the board and the students had to match these schools with their corresponding price, number of students, number of student organizations, and celebrities who graduated from that school. After lunch, the new UB students joined the group. After the introduction, a panel of UB alumni came and sat with all of the students to answer questions about college and then shared about their own college experiences. Also during the workshop, we discussed online resources, school factors, and questions to ask on a college tour. At the end, there was an optional ACT session. COLLEGE FAIR At the January Workshop, 13 representatives from the following schools came to speak to UB students: Hocking College, Shawnee State University, Marshall University, Washington State Community College, University of Rio Grande, Marietta College, Ohio Valley University, Ohio Christian University, Muskingum University, Otterbein University, Columbus State Community College and University of Cincinnati. Each school had a table set up for students to freely come up and ask questions as they wished. During lunch, an Ohio University representative spoke to all students. Afterward, all of the participating schools set up separate presentations in classrooms and students rotated between each one. At the end of the workshop, names were drawn from a hat to win prizes provided by all of the schools who attended! FINANCIAL AID Upward Bound s February workshop focused on financial aid and financial literacy. The day began with a consensogram activity where UB students responded to several yes-or-no questions on financial aid. The statement I plan to save money for college received all yes votes. Later on, Morgan and Garratt discussed SMART Goals with the students, who then mapped out their own SMART Goal plans. Students then broke into groups and checks, credit and debit cards, savings and checking accounts, how to open a bank account, and keeping track of money. After the results were shared with the group, a representative from OHIO s office of financial aid spoke to UB students and answered any additional questions. The workshop was topped off with a big game of bingo!

3 workshop memories Destiny with new UB student Gracie at the December workshop Logan Meadows holding his OU flag that he won in a drawing UB students in groups working on a budgeting project Rebecca Hill diving for the bell during the college-match game Gathering information from the University of Cincinnati representative Skylar Champ gives group presentation on how to open a bank account what s to come TENTATIVE Workshop schedule: March 14, 2015 Service Learning April 11, 2015 Education Around the World May 8, 2015 College Tours June 6, 2015 Summer Orientation Summer theme: Color Blast!

4 [ Test your skills ] Key scholarships loans alumni passports checking expenses ohio state save budget Across 4. At the Financial Aid workshop, one presentation that students gave was on the difference between savings and accounts. 6. UB students carried around at the College Fair workshop to take notes and have signed at each station. 7. You can money at the bank or at home. 8. Money that students borrow for college and must be paid back with interest. 9. A group of UB came to the College Experience workshop to answer questions and share their college experiences. Down 1. At the Financial Aid workshop, students learned how to their money by creating goal sheets with a set plan. 2. During the matching game at the College Experience workshop, which college/university had the highest number of students? 3. Money that is awarded to students that does not need to be paid back. 5. There are other in college besides the cost of tuition.

5 Ask UB: advice column Have questions and need answers? We are here to help. Ask UB is a new advice column where we will provide brief advice on the topics of your choice. To get more in-depth answers, check out our blog at ohiouniversityupwardbound.blogspot.com! We update it regularly with posts on everything from study tips to choosing a major. any questions to [email protected] or message us on Facebook! What is one thing you wish you knew before you came to college? What kind of clubs should I become involved in at school? Should I still apply for scholarships if I don t have the best GPA? Honestly, I wish someone would have told me about all of the hidden expenses in college on top of tuition payments. I knew about books, but I never took into account the price of clubs, transportation, printing, food, and laundry. These costs can really add up so it is important to save up as much as you can. Even keeping a jar of loose coins can save you when you are in need of a snack or your laundry needs to be done. Also, avoid buying things for your dorm that you don t need because that adds up too! That s all up to you! Each college has a plethora of clubs and organizations for students to join. Whether you want to join the school newspaper to help better yourself as a writer or if you want to join a running club to exercise and have fun, there are plenty of options out there. I do really recommend becoming involved in organizations pertaining to your major because they can give you valuable experience that you can t get elsewhere. Also, my last advice is to save time for leisure as well! Although having a high GPA and test scores is extremely beneficial, they aren t the only qualifications that are factored into scholarship awards. There are tons of scholarships available for students with unique qualities, talents, or interests. There are scholarships for being left-handed, knowing how to duck call, and for having a desire to create a new candy. If you have something unique about you, search the internet and you may be surprised at what scholarships you might find!

6 Winter Birthdays December 6th Kyle McCloud 11th Donovan Ross 12th Noelle Mash 19th Makayla Hardin January 14th Lisa Tilley 17th Layton Ridgeway February 3rd Keely Mankin 7th Michael Hamilton Kwabena Owusu-Kwarteng: Director Garratt Weber: Program Coordinator Ariana Bovell: Academic Advisor Morgan Duncan: Academic Advisor Chloe Musick: Office Manager Alexis Apparicio: Data Information Assistant Emma Jenkins: Blog and News Writer Hadley Savoldi: Multi-Media Assistant Special shout out to Curt Plummer, former Assistant Director, whose last workshop was in January. You will be missed, Curt!

7 Get Connected Upward Bound is connected to you! Have you ever thought about staying updated through the Upward Bound blog? Have you considered retweeting a funny or informative tweet from Upward Bound? Browse through our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Blogger and Pinterest, and check out the new Instagram while you are at it! The Upward Bound social media sites are an excellent way to quickly gather information about ACT dates, upcoming workshops, tutoring services, and more. Stay connected and contribute to Upward Bound s social media websites! Social Media Contact Us 124 McCracken Hall Athens, OH [email protected] Alex VanBibber matching student enrollment numbers to the corresponding colleges at the December workshop! Ivy Acord and Corey Harper holding up their information booklets from the University of Cincinnati at the January workshop!