An important part of the college experience is learning how to manage personal finances.
Paying for college is an investment in your future, and it takes an understanding of your finances - and what you should or should not spend money on - to graduate with the least amount of debt.
The Four Year Financial Plan should be completed during your first year of college and updated regularly to help keep your finances on track.
Where Can I Download the Financial Plan?
Click here to download the Excel spreadsheet.
Tips for Completing the Financial Plan:
- Make sure you do the plan for four years. There are tabs at the bottom for each year.
- Budgeting and financial planning doesn't end once you complete the plan! Revisit
the plan often as your financial circumstance change.
- Expenses: These are different for each student. These are amounts you expect to pay each year for various expenses. Tip: sometimes it's easier to take your monthly amount and multiply by the appropriate number of months to get the annual total.
- Institutional expenses like tuition and fees, room and board (if living on-campus), or student health insurance (if utilizing the institution's health insurance) can be found on your STAR account via your WVU Portal. Go to "Student Services & Housing" >> "Student Accounts" >> "Electronic Bill By Term/Make Payment."
- Resouces/Incomes: These are also different for each student. These are funds you expect to earn or receive each year. Tip: sometimes it's easier to take your monthly amount and multiply by the appropriate number of months to get the annual total.
- These resources include money you or your family have set aside to use for your educational and living expenses each year.
- Financial aid and scholarship information can be found on STAR. Go to "Financial Aid" >> "Award" >> "Award By Aid Year" and select an aid year. Information could be available on both the "Award Overview" and "Resources/Additional Information" tabs.
- Veterans Administration, Social Security Benefits, or Other Non-Taxable Income can be found from benefit letters from those agencies.
- If you are working, list that in the "Income from Jobs" or "Other Income/Resources"
sections.