After observing the answers from the survey, it was clear to see that paying for college is on everyone’s mind. Low financial proficiency has a large effect on a student’s loan repayment in their future years, and those missed payments will have a negative effect on credit scores and abilities to take out new loans later in life. This low proficiency is due to the missing financial education in high school curriculum. Although these resources were not available to the students surveyed, their data shows their interest in learning more. While it will take a while before the Student Debt Crisis is eradicated, currently we can help these students minimize the stress of debt. Learning more about student loans and saving money will help parents and students make smarter decisions while applying for aid and those decisions should continue throughout college. PocketStudent combines multiple aspects of budgeting that can help people manage money better. By connecting to the designated university and interacting with posts consistently, college students can gain more knowledge about ways they can save. Having information compiled into one area will make it easier to find the resources universities have available to help them financially. By making small decisions based on applying for more scholarships, shopping smart, and using discounts, paying for education can get easier.
Designing the app PocketStudent was one of the best parts of my project. I spent multiple days designing each page and working with a website that would bring it to life. I’m so proud with how it came out and I can’t wait to share it with my Scholars class. Working on this research project has been rewarding and I’m very impressed with the outcome. Making smart financial decisions has always been a goal of mine and I hope others can join in too.