Student Financial Wellness

SSU Superfan holding dollar bills

As a comprehensive university, Salem State prepares students of diverse backgrounds and interests to achieve their educational and career goals and to contribute to a global society as ethical and engaged community members. The university strives to equip students with practical skills and habits to enhance their social mobility and to improve their future well-being, their families, and their communities. Financial wellness education provides students with the tools to become financially secure throughout their lives and empowers them to manage their finances effectively, make informed decisions, and achieve long-term financial goals.
 
The Student Navigation Center is the university’s one-stop office for financial aid, student accounts, the registrar, and financial literacy education. They are here to help educate students on planning their financial journey through their college years and beyond.
 

Note: the Student Navigation Center helps students develop financial literacy and understand the importance of financial wellness by providing general information for educational purposes only. This information is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified legal, investment, or tax advisor, who may determine that your individual circumstances require an approach that differs from the general information provided here. If you need advice applicable to your own financial or tax situation, please consult with your advisor.

What is Financial Wellness?

Financial literacy is concrete and procedural knowledge about specific aspects of finance, like knowing how interest works, understanding your credit score, and being able to read and interpret different financial documents. Financial wellness is much more personal and subjective—it’s about working toward a level of understanding that makes you comfortable, and it’s different for every person. What financial wellness means to you will change throughout your life, and while financial literacy will undoubtedly be a part of that, it will also involve your personal goals, values, and priorities, from understanding your student aid to buying a home. Financial wellness @ SSU focuses on helping you discover your own definition of financial wellness and providing the tools and resources you need to work toward it.

Financial Wellness Resources

Cash Course

Cash Course provides real-world financial skills to help students make informed and thoughtful financial decisions. Modules include creating and maintaining a budget, understanding credit cards, and managing student loan debt. The platform features self-paced courses, interactive tools, and curated content to help students build lasting financial confidence. 

Learn more about Cash Course.

Money Matters Series

The Student Navigation Center also sponsors the Money Matters series, classroom workshops and financial health counseling as part of our robust financial wellness programming. 

The SNC invites experts in the field of personal finance to speak to students on personal finance issues and actions that they can take to position themselves for lifelong financial well-being. Events take place in the Fall and Spring semesters. The SNC also offers financial aid application assistance each year when the FAFSA opens. 

Learn more about the Money Matters Series.

Workshops

The Student Navigation team is available to visit classrooms, departments, campus clubs and organizations to present interactive workshops to help students learn valuable personal finance skills. Popular presentations include "Navigate to Graduate," "The Game of Life," and "Financial Feud." 

Please contact Carole Rizzo to schedule.

Certified Financial Health Counselors

The Student Navigation Center has professional staff certified by the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors who will meet with students to discuss their personal finances and budgeting. 

To make an appointment, log in to the Nav360 app. 

 

Other Campus Resources

Other Campus Resources

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals.

Learn more. 

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