Student Financial Responsibility

Welcome to college! Your life will be filled with new experiences, friendships, freedoms and challenges. Now that you are away from home more (even if you still live at home), you will have the important role of making daily decisions about how you use your financial aid, spend your paychecks, pay your bills, save money and take responsibility for financial matters.

Take a look at the tips, tools, resources, and information this page provides to help you transition to this new-found responsibility:

On this page

Want it Straightforward? Simple Steps to Complete

Have a conversation with your parent(s) about finances. Ask them about the cost, how much they can contribute, and what financial aid you may need to apply for.
Print off the Checklist to keep track of all that needs to be completed for FHSU.
Print off Important Dates and Deadlines for Financial Aid and Important Dates and Deadlines for the University.
Designate a place to keep these print-outs and other important information you will receive regarding your financial aid. You may want to view the tips the CashCourse website provides for keeping track of paperwork.
View short videos on the CashCourse website on topics such as Budgeting Basics, Tips to Save Money, Paying Back Student Loans, and Finding Extra Money for School.
Use the Net Price Calculator to better plan for college expenses.
Set up a budget using Budget Wizard or Creating a Budget.
Discuss how involved each of you will be in the financial process. Be aware of "money traps" that everyone tends to fall into once they hit the college scene.
Set up a checking and/or savings account. You will need to learn how to keep track of your expenses so you do not lose track of the money available in your account. Net Price Calculator.

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Basics of Charges, Payments & Refunds

Student Payments and Charges
Check the Financials Tab in your myFHSU app in Workday often to see your Account Balance for outstanding charges and their due dates. You may also receive bills by email, which are sent to your Scatcat email (official FHSU email) from our office. Paper bills are no longer mailed to students; therefore, it is your responsibility to be aware of all charges on your account through myFHSU app. For more information view the Student Payments page under Student Fiscal Services.

Registration Payment
After you are admitted to the university and pre-registered in classes, you will need to finalize your registration and make payment arrangements through your myFHSU app account. Valid payment for tuition and fees include debit/credit card, personal check, tuition installment plan, financial aid awards and special programs such as military assistance, vocational rehabilitation, etc.

Visit the FHSU Student Fiscal Services site for specific information regarding Registration Payment Options .

Financial Aid Awards - When the Money Comes and Where the Money Goes
Your financial aid award monies will be available and released at a specific time as determined by the FHSU Academic Calendar and your selected refund option choice made during TigerEnroll. Keep in mind that financial aid is disbursed only to students meeting eligibility and registration deadlines. All required documents must have been submitted and they must also have officially registered in the number of hours for which their aid was processed. The Student Fiscal Services office will apply all available funds to any outstanding university charges. Excess financial assistance after payment of University charges is sent to you using the valid refund option you selected in TigerEnroll. It is very important that you select a valid refund option when enrolling on TigerEnroll in order to receive your refund in a timely manner. Student Fiscal Services reserves the right to select a refund option for you.

Visit the FHSU Student Fiscal Services site to learn more about Disbursement of Financial Assistance .

Loan Requirements
Money. Getting it is sometimes easier than paying it back! If you will be taking advantage of loan programs to help pay for college, it is important to understand the lending and repayment requirements. These requirements include but are not limited to entrance and exit counseling, interest accumulation, registration requirements and the date at which repayment must begin.

Visit our Loan Information Page for important information on loan programs.

Everything you Need- Tips, Tools, Resources

Creating a budget
Budget Wizard and Creating a Budget will provide you with the tools needed to create a simple budget for college.

Keeping Track of paperwork
Designate a place to keep print-outs and other important information you will receive regarding your financial aid. View the tips the CashCourse website provides for keeping track of paperwork.

CashCourse
As the CashCourse website states "Take a look around. The information here will help you make informed financial decisions throughout your college years and into your professional life."

Short Videos
View short videos on the CashCourse website on topics such as Budgeting Basics, Tips to Save Money, Paying Back Student Loans, and Finding Extra Money for School.

Net Price Calculator
Based on the information you enter, Net Price Calculator will give you an estimate of typical expenses for a student like you to attend Fort Hays State University and an estimate of financial aid for which you may be eligible.

Living at College
This link to CashCourse provides you with information regarding living in the residence halls vs. living off-campus.

Tuition and Fees Schedule
The complete chart of tuition and fees can be found at Tuition and Fees.

Get Your Money's Worth
Take a look at the different statistics associated with the College Experience. This diagram gives information regarding college expenses, classes, average debt, and more. Also look at My Savings Machine to calculate the amount you spend (and could choose to save) over a period of time for products such as Beauty, Coffee, Entertainment, Snacks, Bottled Water, and more.

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Keeping a Positive Reputation by Managing and Maintaining Good Credit

The importance of managing and maintaining good credit cannot be overstated. Even though you may feel that you are many years away from things like buying a home or car, the reality is that the financial decisions you make now can have lasting effects on your credit in the future. Students often don't realize that not only do financial institutions do credit checks, but checks of your credit history may also be done by cell phone providers, landlords, potential employers, etc. Seemingly "small" mistakes of missing or making late payments on credit cards, loans or other reportable credit issues can mean that you will have a low credit score. And most often the answer to a credit or loan application with a low credit score is a high interest rate or denied application.

If you haven't done so already, discuss the significance of establishing and maintaining good credit with someone you trust or research and find the information on your own to help you understand how crucial managing and maintaining good credit is.

To help check for identity theft, consider requesting a credit report; information about credit report along with a link to request a report can be found on CashCourse.

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