"Stepping Up For Students"

If you are a student at WVU who is lacking in funds or in need of immediate help, one potential source of aid and hope is the West Virginia University Foundation’s fundraiser “Stepping Up For Students”. This fundraiser raises money and turns it over to the Financial Aid Office at WVU. The Financial Aid Office then hands it out in the form of scholarships, or in the words of the fundraiser’s organizer and leader Greg McCracken, “mini scholarships”. The scholarships are handed out to students who are in need.

The fundraiser was started as a response to the number of students who applied for immediate financial assistance, a number that has continued to rise substantially over the last few years. As the economy took a turn for the worst, students were unable to rely on their family for financial assistance, as parents are being laid off from work. Sometimes a few hundred dollars is all that stands in the way of a student returning to school in the following semester. If a student isn’t able to come up with the money required they are more than likely forced to drop out of school for a semester or a year in order to attempt at saving some money and returning to college. However, a large portion of students who find themselves in this situation never make it back to school. This is probably the worst possible situation a college student can find themselves in. Being forced to drop out to make money, never making it back to school, and then having to pay back students loans already borrowed.

The fundraiser’s main goal is to keep students, who are committed to getting a college degree, in school and helping them remain there. On the fundraiser’s website, there are three videos posted that feature WVU students who were facing the situation described here or similar to it. If you wish to view these videos or possibly learn more about this fundraiser, or even make a donation, you can find the website here.

FAFSA Deadline Approaching

Every student should take advantage of all the help available to them and that includes filling out a FAFSA. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The deadline for West Virginia is March 1^st. Any student wanting money to help pay for college needs to fill out the FAFSA. It’s free and you don’t have to pay back the money. Even if you don’t get a ton of money or even a reasonable amount, every little bit helps. If you need help filling out your FAFSA, West Virginia University holds sessions at the Mountainlair, where they have people help you fill out the FAFSA if needed or simply just advice.  Most of the students who go to these sessions are filling their FAFSAs out for the first time; however there is another reason to go to them. If you watch TV or listen to the radio, this time of year always features a large amount of commercials for tax companies. Most of these companies promise to provide experts that will aid you in achieving your maximum amount of money back in your refunds. Much like these tax experts, the people available at the Mountainlair during these sessions can help make sure you receive every bit of financial help you can get. So even if you have filled out your FAFSAs by yourself in the past, it could prove financially wise to ask for help anyways. You can access the here. Or the web address is http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/#. If you choose not to seek help in filling out your FAFSA, the website itself offers advice and tips as you go through the process and offers assistance and help should you have any questions.

WVU students work to promote financial literacy

Seen in the Daily Athenaeum today, four WVU students are participating in a national campaign (Financially Literate 4 Life) to increase financial literacy among fellow students and the community. One of the students said their target audience is students, although people from the community are also encouraged and welcomed to attend the sessions. There will be several sessions held with intention of educating the community and students on “effective financial strategies” which will include topics such as “budgeting, credit, and applying for loans”. Due to the fact that a lot of people are intimated by financial issues, these sessions will help people tackle that fear and take control of their financial life.

The main reason for students being the target audience is the fact that many students are already in financial problems, meaning debt from college loans. Being students themselves, these four students understand much about the difficulties other students are having, especially since very few people at WVU are doing much to students with their debt problems. It is a hope that with the awareness that these sessions bring, along with the Financial Literacy Week which will be February 28 to March 4, that more people will begin to help students with their financial difficulties, especially student debt.

I think the reason that there isn’t a whole lot of help for students when it comes to financial literacy is the fact that they are in college now. Now that we, students, are in college we’re expected to take care of ourselves and be responsible. Nobody wants to hold our hand through every little step. But we’re not asking for that, in fact, a lot of students aren’t asking at all and that’s a problem. When students don’t seek help when they need to, they can soon find themselves in deeper financial trouble and with more debt than ever before. Students don’t need someone to hold their hand, but helping them become financially literate is something they need, since many of them are only just beginning to take care of themselves financially.

The students will be promoting the campaign in the Mountainlair during Financial Literacy Week, and the next session is set for March 7 at 6pm in Room 103 of Martin Hall.The article can be found at

http://www.thedaonline.com/news/four-students-participate-in-national-campaign-to-be-financially-literate-1.1961903