Students can find financial freedom at the Mountie Money Management Center to graduate with less debt.

MMMC is open Mondays through Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. in building 77, room 1055. During the hours of operations, students are encouraged to walk in or get an appointment to talk to a financial professional.

The average college graduate accumulates $30,000 in debt at the completion of there degree, with the outstanding federal student loan balance reaching $1.620 trillion, according to the Education Data Initiative.

During workshops and other events at the MMMC, attendants are taught many essential money management skills.

Their services cover budgeting workshops homebuying preparation, and car financing. Some of the information is self-paced and can be learned remotely.

The MMMC provides peer mentoring support where students can talk to peers and learn how to manage their money while paying for school or other bills.

Students also have access to a lending library with books on finance, as well as financial counseling sessions with Lisa Amos, the director of the center, who is an accredited financial counselor.

Some of the staff in the center include Venkata Nayani, administrative support, and Qshaa Stewart, student ambassador.

The two explained how the MMMC started as a virtual offering in 2021, funded by a Title V grant, which means there is limited funding for the center, and as a result, the program may not be a permanent fixture of the college.

Nayani said that the center sees around 300-400 students per semester.

The center utilizes various methods to market their services and offerings to students, sometimes bringing their teachings directly to students. Outreaches happen by attending various classes on campus, booths, flyers, and going to high schools. Coming to the center and engaging with peer counselors face-to-face has been the most effective, Stewart said.

Because the college does not track student finances, data on the center’s impact on the student body overall is difficult to assess. However, they have received positive feedback from students who have accessed the MMMC’s services. Additionally, the peer mentors have successfully transferred, live on budget, and meet their financial goals—much of which they credit to their time spent in the MMMC.