• Welcome Longhorns!
• A Message from the Dean of Students
• A Note from the Vice President for Student Affairs
• A Welcome from the Dean of Undergraduate Studies
• Longhorn Confidential: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at College Life
• For Our Longhorn Families
• For New Longhorns
• Getting the Most Out of Academics
• From Combat to the Classroom
• Things to Bring
• Take Your Finances By The Horns
• FAQs
• Student Integrity
• Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL)
• Important Phone Numbers
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Take Your Finances by the Horns!

Money-Saving Tips

• When you want to buy something you weren’t really planning on buying, ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" Leave your credit cards at home, and if you are low on money, leave your debit card at home, too.
• Don’t pay interest on things that won’t last as long as the payments (food, gas and/or entertainment).

Savings Tips for Academics and Campus Life

Make use of what you already paid for with your student fees

• Campus libraries
• Gym and Acquatic Center
• Career Exploration Center
• Counseling and Mental Health Center
• Legal Services for Students
• UT Learning Center
• Student Emergency Services
• Activities, events, festivals, concerts, speakers
• Over 1,000 student organizations

Books

• Buy used, buy early and explore alternatives to buying at the campus bookstore.
• If you see a textbook online for much less than at the bookstore, then discover it’s an earlier edition than the one on your booklist, don’t dismiss it. New editions are often published with only minimal updates. Ask your professor what changes are in the new edition to see whether you really need it. You might also buy the old edition and keep track of any changes with a classmate who has the newer edition.
• Sell your books to friends or other students who will be taking the same class next semester.
• Try selling online before you have the campus bookstore buyback, which will often pay much less than any of your alternatives.

Become a Resident Assistant (RA)

• Get free housing and food when you become an RA.

Webspace

• This personal file storage system provides 150 MB of disk space to all registered UT Austin students. You can store homework, notes or files and access these documents from any computer. Don’t spend money burning files on CDs or buying a flash drive when you can just use Webspace.

UT Tuition Rebate

• You may be eligible for a tuition rebate of up to $1,000 if, at graduation, you have attempted no more than three semester hours beyond the minimum number of hours required for the degree.
• These hours include all hours you may have attempted, whether by transfer, credit by examination, courses you dropped or withdrew from after the official enrollment count.
• There are many stipulations to this rule, so check with an advisor about the requirements and regulations that govern this rebate. By using this as an incentive to graduate, you’re saving yourself money in tuition that you would pay by staying in school longer.

Savings Tips for Wellness and Fun

Exercise

• Gregory Gym has weight rooms, racquetball courts, a climbing wall, an indoor track and more.
• If you’re interested in any of the classes that cost extra (TeXercise pass), be sure to check out "Free Preview Week" to make sure you like the classes first. You’ll save money if you try a class first and decide which you really like, rather than spend money for the pass and then not use it.

Car Insurance

• Male drivers under the age of 25 and women under 21 pay the highest rates. Join or stay on your parents’ auto insurance policy to save on your monthly payment.

Movies

• Instead of the video store, check the audio/visual library in the FAC for free movie rentals!
• If you live in the residence halls, you can also check out movies from the front desk.
• Movies at the Texas Union are free and convenient. See the latest blockbuster hits, a late night film series, special events and advanced screenings.

Coupons

• Check the Web sites of stores where you shop. They often have printable coupons that you can even forward to friends.
• Get on the e-mail list for your favorite stores; they’ll e-mail you about sales and special coupons.
• Free samples of some of your favorite products are available online.
• Snag the coupon books that are passed out the first few days of every semester.
• Coupons can also be found in the Daily Texan and other newspapers.
• Check "Coupon Centers" at grocery stores like Target and H.E.B.

Food

• Try not to eat out often because it really adds up! This includes coffee, by the way.
• When you do, take advantage of places that have student discounts and/or rewards cards (i.e. your 5th sandwich is free).
• When grocery shopping, make a shopping list to avoid impulse buys. Shop intentionally, don’t just wander around the store.

Travel

• Use Southwest Airlines’ DING!, a free downloadable tool to get exclusive low fare offers.
• Other airlines and travel sites are starting to develop their own version of DING!, so check their Web sites.
• Ask for student rates or review www.statravel.com.

Entertainment

• Take advantage of free events (Forty Acres Fest, Texas Revue, Pecan Street Festival).
• The Union Underground offers bowling and pool at very economical student rates.
• Check www.austin360.com for free events.

Before buying anything new...

Check online and at local thrift stores for gently used merchandise that is cheap, or even free.

• For information about the August on-campus garage sale, visit www.trashtotreasureut.com
• At department stores, ask about student discounts.

Things to Look for in a Credit Card
READ the Fine Print!!!

Keep Your Eyes on the Fees

Before you open a new credit card account, ask the lender to provide information about possible fees or finance charges, including:

• Annual Fee: charged for using the card. Many cards have no annual fee, so shop around.
• Cash Advance Fee: shown as either a per-use flat rate or a percentage of the advance amount.
• Late Payment Fee: charged if payment is received after the due date. (Caution: If you are late on even one or two payment deadlines, your interest could skyrocket.)
• Balance Transfer Fee: Sometimes charged to transfer balances from one card to another.
• Over-the-limit Fee: Fee charged if you go over your credit limit. (Overages can also trigger rate increases.)
• Minimum Finance Charge: Imposed whenever you carry a forward balance.

Decoding Other Credit Card Terminology

• Annual Percentage Rate (APR): The interest rate you’ll be charged if your balance is not paid in full each month. Credit cards often have different APRs for purchases, cash advances and balance transfers, so make sure a low APR in one category isn’t offset by unreasonably high APRs in others. Also, if there’s a low introductory APR, note how long it will be offered and what the rate rises to afterward. (www.debtconsolidationcare.com/calculator/apr.html)
• Fixed Rate, Variable Rate: A fixed interest rate stays the same, a variable rate can change monthly, quarterly, or annually. Ask how often the rate can change, ask what the variable rate is based upon, and most importantly: ask under what circumstances can your fixed or variable rate change and by how much (late payment, over-the-limit, other).
• Introductory Rate: Usually good for 3 to 12 months—called an introductory or teaser rate.
• Grace period: The number of days you have to pay your bill in full without being charged interest. Beware of short grace periods and note that there’s usually no grace period at all for cash advances, balance transfers or balances carried over from previous months—you begin paying interest immediately.
• Cash Advances: Cash advances can bail you out of emergencies, but they can become very expensive loans if you don’t pay them off quickly. Ask about each card’s cash advance APR, fees and any other limits that may apply.
• Average Daily Balance: A common calculation method used to determine the payment due. It’s determined by adding each day’s balance and then dividing that total by the number of days in a billing cycle. The average daily balance is then multiplied by a card’s monthly periodic rate, which is calculated by dividing the annual percentage rate by 12. A card with an annual rate of 18% would have a monthly periodic rate of 1.5%. If that card had a $500 average daily balance it would yield a monthly finance charge of $7.50.

Bevonomics

A new money management program from the UT Austin Office of Student Financial Services, Bevonomics offers students the information and tools they need to learn how to make good financial decisions. Each semester, workshops on topics such as Spending, Saving and Using Credit; Renting in Austin; Identity Theft; A Guide to Investing and Repaying Student Loans, are open to all UT Austin students. For a complete list of Bevonomics workshops, information on dates and locations, and for more smart money tips, visit www.bevonomics.org.

Some information adapted from www.bevonomics.org.