<p>"A college student’s idea of investing may lean more toward purchasing season basketball tickets than an individual retirement account, but financial experts say taking a more focused look at their financial situation early can help students budget for today and the future.</p>
<p>Budgeting should begin before a student even sets foot on campus, said Jodi Kaus, program director for Powercat Financial Counseling at Kansas State University. Students may have extra funding from high school graduation gifts, savings bonds or part-time job income, and it’s important to put that money to good use.</p>
<p>‘Students should keep an emergency savings cushion for unexpected contingencies,’ Kaus said. ‘They should articulate their own specific financial goals to prioritize how they want to make use of these extra resources. Using them for a portion of college costs could help reduce the amount of necessary loans and interest charges.’</p>
<p>Once students get to school, Kaus said they need to be in tune with their money. Making a detailed list of all spending items can reduce the chance of running into an unexpected expense …"</p>
<p>[Money</a> matters: Setting a budget, financial planning can help college students now and in future](<a href=“http://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/aug11/budgeting80411.html]Money”>Money matters: Setting a budget, financial planning can help college students now and in future)</p>