Budgeting tips and tricks
Planning to pursue postsecondary education is a big decision and should not be taken lightly. A postsecondary education is an investment and should be treated as such.
Saving and budgeting for college and university is necessary to successfully complete your education. Learn how to make a budget, and stick to it!
Thrifty Thursdays
The Financial Aid and Awards Office presents Thrifty Thursdays, a series of workshops to help you stay on track financially.
Upcoming workshops
Money troubles: How to manage debt and financial stress
Thursday, Nov. 3 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Learn how to manage your debt and reduce your financial stress! This workshop welcomes Spergel, licensed insolvency trustees who have helped many clients find debt solutions.
Past workshops
Budgeting basics: How to manage money during school
Thursday, Sept. 29 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Thanks to all those who attended our first workshop, Budgeting basics: How to manage money during school. If you missed it and want a copy of the information, please email Financial Aid and Awards.
My Budget
Check out the My Budget tool, located on the student portal under Money. With a budget in place, you will be able to effectively manage your money, save for expenses and prepare for emergencies.
The budget template includes educational expenses, housing, food, transportation, miscellaneous costs and health insurance, as well as sources of income from scholarships, grants, bursaries, RESP, loans, OSAP and work. The template is intuitive and easy to understand.
Budgeting – the foundation of sound financial planning
- Review your budget monthly
- Are you on target?
- When you subtract your expenses from your incoming money, does it balance?
- What extra expenses can you reduce if necessary?
- Plan for the future
- Try to save money as often as possible, even if it is only $5 at a time
- Keep organized records of all your financial affairs (receipts, etc.)
- Maintain a good credit standing
- Even in emergencies, limit credit card use and available credit
- Explore part-time jobs at the college
What should I do to prepare for the cost of my education?
Saving for your education is the key to success. How you fund your education is a decision that needs to be made early on.
If you are applying for a private student line of credit at a bank or financial institution, different rules and procedures may apply, so check with your bank or financial institution’s procedures and deadlines.
The more money you save for your education, the less debt you’ll face after graduation – it’s wise not to expect full funding of your education from another source since it’s not always available.
Contact Financial Aid
Financial Aid and Awards provides a centralized service located at the Barrie Campus within the Office of the Registrar.
Please note, all Financial Aid and Awards services are available between 8.30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., both in person and remotely.
Phone: 705.722.1530
Fax: 705.722.5136
Email: financialaid@georgiancollege.ca
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.