Financial Wellness

The Financial Wellness program offers free services, resources, and programs that help improve financial knowledge and address financial emergencies. By gaining skills and increasing awareness, students can become financially literate to create a path for long-term financial wellbeing. 

  • Learn more about personal finances! Topics include budgeting, credit, student loans, saving, identity theft, and general smart borrowing.
  • Develop healthy financial habits to reach a state of wellbeing.
  • Receive short-term financial assistance if faced with a hardship.

Don’t know where to get started? Visit the S.H.A.R.E. Center in the Student Center, Room 101, or schedule an appointment with Kiana Piña, Financial Literacy Sr. Advisor, by calling 210-486-3121 or by emailing kpina18@alamo.edu.

Virtual Coaching Session

Virtual coaching is a service of Trellis Company (funds the grant program), which offers free one-on-one virtual coaching. Students will be paired with a trained financial coach to help reach their education, career, and financial goals and help develop a financial plan and prepare for their future. The coaching is confidential, free, and works with the student’s availability.

  1. Go to www.aie.org./coaching
  2. Go to “Schedule Appointment”
  3. Create an account
  4. Once an account is created, indicate in the three (3) options provided what dates and times you are available to complete this coaching session.
  5. Note: the first session must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. Weekends do not count.
    1. Submit schedule options and save/print the two documents included at the end of the registration page (you will need them at the time of your coaching session).
    2. A coach will contact you within two (2) business days to confirm the day and time of your session. Remember to sign up on a day you will have access to a computer. If you do not have a computer with a camera, the session will be done via phone call.

 

iGrad

This FREE money management tool is an interactive resource for money, career exploration, scholarships, student loans, and financial literacy tools.

Search by:

  • Topics: managing money, paying for school, finding a career, and more.
  • Courses: creating a budget, assessing your financial health, understanding your credit report, understanding your paycheck, using banking and checking, using credit cards responsibly, and more.
  • Tools: scholarship search, job search, budget sheet, financial aid coach, games, live webinars, etc.

Visit www.igrad.com/schools/PAC.

Emergency Aid

The Dr. Mike Flores Emergency Aid Program is a grant program meant to help students pay for an expense that, if not addressed immediately, could result in students leaving school. 

Emergency grant funds cannot be used to cover school expenses (parking, tuition, fines, balances, books, supplies, required tools/equipment, etc.).The funds must be used for expenses such as: utilities, housing/rent, food, medical/dental, personal automobile expenses, public transportation/bus passes, child care, fuel, etc. 

Payments to the third-party agency (e.g., utility service) are made by Palo Alto College, so students will not directly receive any funds. Grants cannot be used for tuition or balances.The program is available to enrolled students in need of limited, short-term financial assistance; an emergency grant does not require repayment. 

  1. On the AlamoSync home page, click the “Sign In” button in the upper right-hand corner using your Aces login information.
  2. Use the Search tool to find “PAC Student Life”.
  3. Click on the blue “Join” button located in the right-hand corner.
  4. Find the “Dr. Mike Flores Emergency Aid Program” application under Forms. 
  5. Complete and submit the application. 

Palo Alto College will review submitted applications and requirements before approving it. If students are approved for emergency aid, they will be asked to schedule an in-person appointment to complete the process. Students with questions may schedule appointments prior to completing the application. 

Apply now