Money Matters

Tools for managing your loans, your credit and your budget, during your program and after you graduate. Most links on this page leave the CU Anschutz website.

Manage Your Student Loans

Know what you owe, how you will repay it and which programs can pay part of it for you.

BEFORE YOU GRADUATE

Complete Exit Counseling Required when you graduate, leave or drop below half time. See Every Federal Loan You Have Your balances, servicer and payment history on StudentAid.gov. Estimate Your Payments The Loan Simulator compares repayment options with your real loan data. Federal Repayment Plans How each federal repayment plan works.

AFTER YOU GRADUATE

Programs That Repay Your Loans Public Service Loan Forgiveness, NHSC Students To Service and Nurse Corps. Income-Driven Repayment Federal Student Aid's guide to income-driven plans. Student Loan Borrower Assistance The National Consumer Law Center's guide to repayment, collections and your rights. Grad School Money Planning GradSense, from the Council of Graduate Schools: debt-to-salary calculator and repayment planning.

NEW LOANS HAVE NEW REPAYMENT RULES If you borrow new federal loans on or after July 1, 2026, you have two repayment options: a standard plan and the income-based Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). Loans borrowed before then keep more of the older choices, including income-driven plans, for now. See Federal Loan Updates before you choose a plan.

REFINANCING IS PERMANENT

With strong credit, you may be able to refinance federal loans into a private loan. Once you do, you cannot move them back, and you give up federal benefits such as income-driven repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Read the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's student loan guide first. Medical students, see the AAMC's financial aid resources.

Plan Your Budget

BUDGETING AND MONEY BASICS

Paying for College Guides CFPB guides to the big borrowing and repayment decisions. FDIC Money Smart Borrowing wisely, spending plans and using banking products. MyMoney.gov The federal government's financial education site. CashCourse Budgeting, credit and student loan basics.

BIGGER DECISIONS

Financial Avenue Online courses on the basics of personal money management. Know Before You Owe: Mortgages Compare mortgage options and avoid surprises at closing. Save for Education The 529 Network explains state 529 plans. An Introduction to 529 Plans The SEC's plain guide to how 529 plans work.

Protect Your Credit

Lenders look at your credit history when you borrow for a car, a home or a private loan. Check it regularly and fix errors early.

CREDIT

Free Credit Reports The only official site for free reports from all three credit agencies. Skip any site that charges a fee or wants a trial signup. Understanding Your Credit Score How scores work and how to build them. How to Rebuild Your Credit Steps to recover from late payments or debt problems. myFICO Credit Education How credit is granted, how to raise your score and a glossary of terms.

SCAMS AND TAXES

Avoid Financial Aid Scams Spot fraud, avoid paying for free services and prevent identity theft. Education Tax Credits The Lifetime Learning Credit and American Opportunity Tax Credit. File Your Federal Taxes Free IRS Free File, if your income is under the IRS limit for the year. File Colorado Taxes Colorado's options for filing your state return.

WHO TO ASK Questions about your aid come to us at [email protected] or 303-724-8039. Questions about your bill, your refund or direct deposit go to the Bursar's Office.

Financial Aid & Scholarships Office

CU Anschutz

Education II North

13120 East 19th Avenue

#3113

Aurora, CO 80045

[email protected]

303-724-8039

Tools & Resources

CU Campuses