>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK. THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL
TO COLLEGE IS A STRESSFUL TIME
FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS.
BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS TO
FOCUS ON TO MAKE IT A LITTLE
BIT SMOOTHER.
BIT SMOOTHER. >> SO JOIN US TODAY WITH SOME
GREAT TIPS FOR YOUR FRESHMEN IS
THE FOUNDER OF COLLEGE GIRL AND
AUTHOR OF "HOW TO PAY FOR
COLLEGE WHEN YOU'RE BROKE"
JESSICA BROWN.
JESSICA BROWN. JESSICA, THANKS FOR COMING
BACK.
BACK.
BACK. >>
BACK. >> THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO
ALWAYS BE HERE.
SUCH A PLEASURE.
>> IT IS FUN WHEN YOU'RE
GETTING READY TO GO TO COLLEGE
FOR THE FIRST TIME TO PICK OUT
YOUR BED SPREAD AND THE MINI
FRIDGE AND THE NOTE BOOKS.
THERE ARE SOME VERY IMPORTANT
THINGS YOU ALSO NEED TO MAKE
SURE YOU HAVE IN LINE LIKE ALL
OF YOUR DOCUMENTS.
>> LIKE ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW.
THIS WEEK IS A GREAT WEEK.
IT'S FRESH FRESHMAN WEEK.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR
STUDENT ACCOUNT IS DOWN PACK,
THAT ALL YOUR DOCUMENTS HAVE
BEEN RECEIVED BY FINANCIAL AID,
ALL YOUR SCHOLARSHIPS, EXTERNAL
AND INTERNAL HAVE BEEN
RECEIVED.
RECEIVED.
RECEIVED. ADDITIONALLY, YOU'RE REVIEWING
YOUR MEAL PLAN TO MAKE SURE
YOU'RE NOT PAYING FOR MORE THAN
WHAT YOU NEED BECAUSE THAT IS
DEFINITELY A PART OF YOUR
COLLEGE TUITION AND ALSO MAKING
SURE PARENTS FILLING OUT THE
FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS
PRIVACY ACT FORM.
YOU CANNOT CALL FINANCIAL AID
AND ASK ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S
SITUATION IF YOUR CHILD DOES
NOT SIGN OFF TO GIVE YOU
ACCESS.
ACCESS.
ACCESS. >> THEY'RE AN ADULT NOW.
>> THEY'RE AN ADULT NOW.
>> SO YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT THAT
FORM IN ORDER TO HAVE ACCESS TO
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> WHEN IT COMES TO THE MEAL
PLAN, WE WERE JUST TALKING, IS
THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN CHANGE?
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE
GOING, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH
YOU'RE GOING TO USE IT.
>> YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO
EAT 20 MEALS A WEEK, OR 25
MEALS A WEEK AND YOU END UP
EATING BARELY FIVE.
SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION IN
TERMS OF YOUR MEAL PLAN, AND IF
NOT, THE NEXT FOLLOWING
SEMESTER YOU CAN MAKE A CHANGE
TO THAT.
TO THAT.
TO THAT. >> WHAT ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS?
>> SCHOLARSHIPS EVERY YEAR OVER
$100 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS
GOES UNCLAIMED.
GOES UNCLAIMED. >> WHAT?
>> WHAT?
>> WHAT? THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
>> I KNOW, RIGHT?
IT'S SO IMPERATIVE THAT YOU
CONTINUE TO RESEARCH
SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGHOUT YOUR
EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY, NOT JUST
WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO SCHOOL THE
FIRST WEEK BECAUSE THINGS
HAPPEN, YOU NEED TO TAKE A
SUMMER CLASS OR YOU MAY WANT A
REFUND.
REFUND.
REFUND. SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU'RE APPLYING FOR AS MUCH AID
AS POSSIBLE.
AS POSSIBLE. >> WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS
BEFORE WITH SCHOLARSHIPS
BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING OUT
THERE FOR EVERYBODY.
I REMEMBER, AND I DON'T KNOW
WHAT IT'S LIKE NOW, BUT WHEN I
WAS APPLYING FOR COLLEGE, THERE
WERE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TALL
GIRLS.
GIRLS.
GIRLS. >>
GIRLS. >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> LIKE WHO WERE OVER 5.10", IT
WAS LIKE MAYBE $1,000, THAT
WOULD HELP WITH THE BOOKS.
>> ART.
>> ART.
>> ART. >> THERE IS SOMETHING FOR
EVERYBODY OUT THERE.
>> YES, INDEED.
>> I THINK FOR SO MANY THAT'S
GOING TO COLLEGE, WE HAD THIS
STORY OF AN ADVISER WHO REALLY
HELPED TO SET US ON A PATH,
THEY MADE SURE WE GOT THROUGH
IN FOUR YEARS.
YOU SAY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR
FRESHMEN TO CONNECT WITH THAT
ADVISER RIGHT AWAY.
>> YES, IMMEDIATELY.
BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE
COURSES YOU DON'T NEED.
A LOT OF TIMES STUDENTS
GRADUATE AND FIND OUT THEY NEED
TO TAKE AN ADDITIONAL COURSE OR
THE COURSES THEY TOOK ARE NOT A
PART OF THEIR MAJOR.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAKE
THAT CONNECTION NOW TO MAKE
SURE YOU'RE NOT WASTING ANY
MONEY ON THE BACK END.
>> OR TIME, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
YOU WANT TO GRADUATE AND
THEY'RE, LIKE, WAIT A SECOND.
>> ALL YOUR FRIENDS ARE
GRADUATING.
GRADUATING. >> YOU'RE STILL THERE.
>> SO WE MENTIONED HOW THE
FRESHMEN ARE ADULTS NOW.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> SO HERE COMES BANK ACCOUNTS
AND CHECKING ACCOUNTS.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> SO WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR
PARENTS AND FRESHMEN TO REALLY
GET THE MOST OUT OF THAT?
>> SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE
WHATEVER INSTITUTION YOU'RE
GOING TO THAT YOU CREATE A BANK
ACCOUNT THAT IS PARTNERING WITH
THAT INSTITUTION.
THAT INSTITUTION. THIS WAY YOU AVOID FEES.
EVERY TIME YOU DON'T WANT TO GO
TO THE ATM AND PAYING $3 TO $5
TO TAKE OUT $20, ESPECIALLY AS
A COLLEGE STUDENT, YOU NEED
EVERY PENNY.
EVERY PENNY. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT
YOU FOLLOW UP WITH THE
INSTITUTION TO SEE WHO THEIR
PARTNERING BANK IS.
>> HOW DOES THAT HELP CAN
SCHOOL TOO BECAUSE YOU SAID IF
YOU GET IT THROUGH THE COLLEGE
THERE'S SOME BENEFITS FOR YOU.
>> YES, THERE'S SOME BENEFITS.
YOU ARE ABLE TO AVOID FEES.
THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER
ADDITIONAL PERKS THEY MAY
PROVIDE YOU ON CAMPUS, CASH
BACK WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. AND ADDITIONALLY WITH THAT AS
WELL STUDENTS ARE SHOPPING.
MAKE SURE YOU USE YOUR STUDENT
I.D.
I.D.
I.D. MANY
I.D. MANY OF THE STORES THAT ARE
LOCALLY AROUND HERE, THEY GIVE
YOU 10% OR MORE BACK.
SO MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING YOUR
STUDENT I.D.
STUDENT I.D. SO YOU CAN CUT ALL COSTS.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> IT ALL STARTS TO RACK UP A
LITTLE BIT WITH THE BOOKS AND
EVERYTHING ELSE.
EVERYTHING ELSE. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> AND I WONDER TOO MAYBE
SOMETIMES THE BANKS BECAUSE
THEY'RE WITH THE CAMPUS, IF YOU
SELL BACK THE BOOKS AT THE END
OF THE YEAR, I MEAN, IT'S JUST
LIKE THE BANKS WE USE, THEY'RE
GOING TO HAVE PERKS.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. AND THAT'S WHY YOU DEFINITELY
WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE
OPENING UP A CAMPUS CHECKING
ACCOUNT AND YOU HAVE A
COMMERCIAL BANK BECAUSE IF
ANYTHING HAPPEN, YOU DON'T WANT
TO GO BACK TO A CREDIT UNION
ALL THE WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE WEST COAST AND TRY TO
GET A DEBIT CARD AT THE LAST
MINUTE.
MINUTE.
MINUTE. SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU
HAVE A COMMERCIAL BANK THAT'S
LOCAL.
LOCAL.
LOCAL. >>
LOCAL. >> HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR
FRESHMEN AWARE OF THESE
FINANCIAL ISSUES AND ACTUALLY
CARE ABOUT IT?
BECAUSE, I DON'T KNOW, WHEN I
WAS A FRESHMAN, I DON'T KNOW
THAT I PAID ATTENTION THAT
MUCH, GOT EVERY BIT OF
SCHOLARSHIP I COULD GET.
>> IT'S NOW IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE STUDENT LOAN DEBT IS
MORE THAN CREDIT CARD DEBT IN
AMERICA AT $1.5 TRILLION.
SO IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE
BEGIN TO HAVE THESE FINANCIAL
CONVERSATIONS TO ENSURE OUR
STUDENTS ARE ATTAINING
FINANCIAL FREEDOM POST-
GRADUATION AND THEY ARE
MINIMIZING DEBT FOR THEIR
FAMILIES AS WELL.
>> JESSICA, YOU'RE AMAZING, AS
ALWAYS.
ALWAYS.
ALWAYS. WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU AND MORE
ABOUT ALL OF THIS?
THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE
ICEBERG.
ICEBERG.
ICEBERG. >> YOU CAN FIND ME AT