College Life
Prospective & Continuing Students
Upon arriving at UCCS as a freshman, transfer, or graduate student, you will be exposed to many new and challenging experiences that will surely shape your future. Your time spent here with us is very important and will be one of the most exciting chapters of your life.
You will face many financial decisions while pursuing your academic and professional goals. Many students are not aware of how large an impact these decisions will have on their futures. The UCCS Mountain Lion Money Management website can provide financial education to enable you to make better financial decisions for you, your family, and your future.
What to Expect
Your first year on campus will be a fun part of your college career, but also very eye-opening. There are a lot of distractions that can deter you from getting your studies done and accomplishing the goals you set out to achieve. Your first year should be fun and full of new experiences, nevertheless making responsible choices with your time and money is paramount to your future here at UCCS as well as your future financial well-being. Staying organized and distinguishing your needs from your wants will help you get through school without accumulating an enormous financial burden.
Housing Information
Dorm Life at UCCS
College as a whole is a rollercoaster, but dorm life is an adventure all its own. While dorm life may seem like an opportunity to let your hair down and have unsupervised fun, in actuality it's a labyrinth of new experiences that include sound financial planning.
Off-Campus Living
When deciding to live off campus, there are an abundance of things to consider. Some concerns include what roommates to live with, whether a location away from campus is affordable and still convenient, along with many others. It is highly encouraged that you take your time and make the best decisions for yourself, and not make decisions based on others.
Develop Your Money Sense
An important first step in becoming financially independent is to open a bank account. The following is a video that shows how someone compares the costs when choosing a place to open a savings account, checking account, or both.
When making financial decisions, whether it’s your first year or your fifth, you need to develop a screening process to define "needs" and "wants." It is easy to follow social pressure and purchase a big screen TV, tickets to an event, or expensive apparel. However, none of these items are essential in order to survive. Further, you should avoid making purchasing decisions based solely on social pressure. Your friends will get over it, but you may not be able to get over an excessive credit card balance.