North Texas Daily -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 7/21/2006
Last Visited: 7/21/2006
Some of the common problems include budgeting, financial aid and debt consolidation, according to Plano graduate student Danielle Champagne.She has been working as assistant director at the center for three months now and she is passionate about helping students with their finances. Champagne said that she would like to see more students taking an active role in their personal finances.She said she would like a culture shift so that students will be able to "be functional, successful people who aren't hindered by outstanding debts and problems." "It's really wonderful to be a part of such a new program where our options are limitless," Champagne said. She explained that a program like the Money Management Center is unusual.Though much of the center's basic organization was based on a program at Texas Tech University called "Red to Black."While "Red to Black" is similar to the Money Management Center in that it also offers financial assistance to students, Champagne said the Money Management Center is customized to fit the diverse needs of NT students. "We really have been effective in dealing with those needs," she said.
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Champagne is also chair of NT's Student Investment Group.The group is funded through outside individuals who provide money for students to invest.She said the group allows students to put the theories from their finance classes into practice.She has been involved in the group since 2003. She said students of all majors and classifications can join the group.For more information, contact her at champagne@unt.edu. Currently, Champagne is developing an Internet site for the Money Management Center.The center will offer news articles about finances, financial calculators, packets of information and sample budgets through the Web site.Champagne said the site is free to students, just like the other services the center offers.She said the site should be up this semester. Champagne is in charge of developing workshops for the center, including "Money Management and More."The workshops will focus on specific topics, such as credit scores and reports, making a budget, graduation and beyond and the cost of living for students who live off-campus. Another workshop involves a partnership between the Money Management Center and the Study Abroad program.Champagne said she will be speaking at the workshop which will educate students about the Study Abroad program, as well as all the aspects of traveling abroad in general. Champagne has personal experience with the Study Abroad program.In August 2005, she went to Europe for her capstone course in business policy.Champagne said she enjoyed the experience of being overseas and it was an experience that she thinks all college students should take advantage of. She said advertising on campus for the center is a major part of her job.She has speaking engagements across campus.She talks to orientation leaders, housing peer advisers and resident advisers to help spread the word about the Money Management Center.