Student Success & Engagement Librarian
This guide is intended purely for informational purposes and should not be considered official counsel on any financial, legal, or medical matters.
Saving Money as a College Student
Welcome! This Student Affordability Guide helps you on the path to saving money and finding free and low-cost resources to help you meet your basic needs as a Husky.
Finding low or zero-cost alternatives and services can be time consuming and involve greater effort. But don't give up! Here are some tips to help make navigating this guide more manageable.
Navigation Tips
Start with Your Greatest Need(s)
You don't need to read the whole guide. Start where you need help right now. This quick quiz can help.
Think about what's costing you the most or stressing you out. Is it food? Textbooks? Housing? Start there, and you can always explore more later. This quiz will help you see your areas of greatest financial need. Responses are completely anonymous.
Each action or resource in this guide has a Time & Effort Rating: a quick way to see what's a fast savings win a what takes more planning.
! Quick Wins ! = Things you can do today (like visiting the food pantry or requesting a book for class from the library)
~ Medium Effort ~ = Actions that may take a few days or have a considerable application or access burden (like applying for a scholarship or seeking out an emergency grant)
/ High Effort \ = Steps that include bigger changes and may be long-term processes (like finding new housing or building a semester budget)
Keeping track of where you save helps you see your progress. It feels better to put in the effort if you can watch your savings grow!
Use your notes app, a savings spreadsheet, or the budgeting tools and templates on the Financial Literacy page of this guide to jot down what you spend and what you save
Even small changes, like skipping one takeout meal or buying used books, add up over time. Over the course of a year $10 here and there makes a noticeable impact!
You don't have to navigate these big, stressful problems and questions alone! There are people at UConn who want to help you succeed, from librarians to advisors to student support offices and staff.
If something feels confusing, unfair, or overwhelming, reach out early. Asking for help is a strength, and an important even potentially life changing skill to practice during your time as a student.
- Chat with a librarian: https://library.uconn.edu/services/ask/
- Get support from the Dean of Students Office: https://dos.uconn.edu/
- Schedule an appointment with Student Health and Wellness: https://studenthealth.uconn.edu/
- Find undergraduate advising: https://advising.uconn.edu/
