Financial Literacy at Berklee
In addition to your physical and mental health, it's important to take care of your financial wellbeing, too. Understanding the world of money will directly affect you, your education, and your professional career. Student Financial Services (SFS) has compiled resources to help you stay on top of your budget, loan debt, and other financial matters.
This includes information on the following:
- Basic banking skills
- Setting financial goals
- How to manage overspending
- Preventing identity theft
- Understanding credit
Conversations about Your Finances
Each week on the Berklee Hub, SFS will post a financial topic and related resource(s) relevant to the time of year that these issues are most likely to affect you. This series is aimed at helping you make smart choices when it counts and at engaging in conversations with your peers, parents, and Berklee staff to guide your financial future.
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Check out the results of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling's 2018 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey.
September Topics:
- How Do I Choose a Bank?
- Financial Literacy Guidance
- How Do I Create a Budget?
- Budgeting Tips: Expect the Unexpected
- How Can I Cut Costs?
- Budgeting Apps and Personal Finance Tools
- How Can I Apply for Student Employment at the Conservatory?
- How Can I Apply for Student Employment at the College?
October Topics:
- Managing Your Financial Records
- Lynda.com Video Course: Managing Your Personal Finances
- Setting Aside Savings (ECMC)
- Practical Money Skills: Savings
- Avengers Savings: Mad Money Skills
- How Can I Find an Outside Scholarship?
- Types of Credit
- Credit Scores and Reports
- Video: WTFinance Is a Credit Score? Common Questions Answered
- Video: Financial Literacy in College: Are These Students You?
November Topics:
- Identity Theft: What Do I Need to Know?
- Video: 10 Steps for Students to Avoid Being a Target of Identity Theft
- How to Obtain My Credit Report, and Why I Should
- Video: Financial Literacy: Credit Reports and Credit Scores
- More Important Information on Consumer Credit from the Federal Trade Commission
- Understanding Insurance: Automobile, Health, etc.
- Insurance: A Deeper Dive
- Managing Your Money
December Topics:
- Exploring Career Options
- Berklee Career Communities
- Filing Your FAFSA
- Student Loans: Know What You Owe
- National Student Loan Data System Website
- Helpful Quiz: What Is Your Financial Attitude?
February Topics:
- Taxes: What You Need to Know
- Internal Revenue Service Website
- Best Budget Apps and Personal Finance Tools for 2019 (NerdWallet)
- Budget-Friendly Meals for College Students
March Topics:
- Wants versus Needs: The Secret to Successfully Prioritzing Your Expenses
- The Importance of Student Loan Exit Counseling
Exit Counseling Guide.pdf - Remember to File Your FAFSA
- Renting an Apartment
- Six Apartment Renting Tips for Students
- The Art of the Side Hustle
April Topics:
- Student Loan Repayment Options
- Is It Smart to Consolidate Your Student Loans?
- What Is the Difference between Deferment and Forbearance?
- Smart Ways to Repay Your Student Loans
- How to Avoid Default (Avoiding Delinquency and Default Video)
May Topics:
Financial Resources
We have teamed up with the Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) Solutions, a nonprofit organization with numerous student resources designed to increase financial understanding. Their Financial Awareness Basics (FAB) tool is a great place to get the ball rolling towards a more financially confident future.
Find more helpful resources within the Paying for your Education pages.