Why it Matters

Paying for college can be a huge undertaking yet it is one of the most important investments you will make. The decisions you make now will impact your life after graduation, whether it be the student loans you must repay, the credit you do or do not have upon graduation, or the opportunity cost of being in college longer than planned. We want you to make savvy decisions and have a plan moving forward so you can be proactive and prepared for your time here at OSU and beyond!

You should create a comprehensive one-term plan that will include an assessment of direct and indirect costs of being a student. In addition, you will think about your long-term finances for your life here at OSU.

Being efficient with your time and money is important to your overall financial well-being and getting in the habit of following these steps for each term and academic year (or as needed) will help you to not only be financially smart now, but for your overall financial well-being post-graduation.

Download and save your own copy of the CAFE Worksheet to map out the costs of your OSU bill, and resources coming in to pay towards that OSU bill each term; identify if you will have any gaps of funding early on!

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