The It Make$ Cents organization is unique to UW-La crosse, as no other of the like can be found in the UW system. It offers help to students in the finance world, according to Amanda Gasper, the Financial Literacy Coordinator of It Make$ Cents. However, other universities in the system are beginning to show interest in adopting their own versions of the group.
“We’re a free service to students to educate on things such as financial questions or concerns, budgets, or about making ends meet,” Gasper stated of the organization.
It Make$ Cents is run mostly by UW-L students who have experience in finance or are majoring in something similar. They work as peer mentors and answer questions from investing in stocks to paying back those pesky loans that seem to follow college students anywhere they go. Just in the last weekend, which usually brings in the biggest sales in the United States with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, It Make$ Cents’ Twitter feed was offering advice for spending smartly on both of these occasions. They also have a blog called Not Just Winging It where different snippets of advice are posted.
There are also plenty of events It Make$ Cents sponsors on campus, such as Credit Bingo, which was held in Reuter Hall on Nov. 25. One of their upcoming events is just in time for the holidays with Christmas Crafts on a Budget on Dec. 9, where students can make a craft and learn how to spend wisely in preparation for future craft ideas. With activities and speakers that appear now and then, there are many fun ways to learn about how to both save and spend money are planned all year on the organization’s webpage.
Some students may think that they handle their money just fine, or maybe they are not handling it at all yet. Many may think that this information is not relevant to them at this certain point in their life. But Gasper has an important message about that.
“Be open minded. Take in as much information as you can about financial wellness,” Gasper urges students, “Learn what you can early. You need this information and these skills for life.”
“We want to get the word out of how to live a more responsible financial life,” Gasper adds, passionate about the goals that It Make$ Cents has of getting their messages to all students in order to make fiscal responsibility appear more often on college campuses and later in life.