Financial education can be critical in helping young people at three critical stages of the postsecondary education process: access, completion and loan repayment. First, financial education directed at students and parents can help them see the financial value of postsecondary education, especially in first generation college households. Programs can also help guide families through the complex and daunting financial aid process helping them access college. Second, strong campus-based financial literacy programs and counseling can help students figure out how to manage their financial aid packages and budget their money so that they can afford to successfully complete the academic programs they start. Finally, money management tools and educational support are essential to help students who are entering the loan repayment stage just as they are starting their professional lives and learning to manage tremendous amounts of student debt. All of these objectives become even more challenging as growth in the cost of postsecondary education continues to outpace inflation. Back to Who We Serve: NGOs