The West Virginia University Financial Aid Office has expanded its award-winning, debt management program to include a series of monthly educational sessions. The new series, Wallet Watch, will provide detailed information on financial issues such as establishing credit, managing budgets and developing strategies for investing aimed at increasing the financial knowledge of WVU students.

We have learned that a vast majority of students want to receive more information about how to better understand and manage their finances,said Candi Frazier, associate director of financial aid.Students are taking on loans, opening credit cards and figuring how to juggle expenses. Our goal is to provide them the information they need to make wise decisions now that positively impact their future.

Although the programs are open to any WVU student, the primary audience is graduate and professional students.

A recent study from NellieMae, a subsidiary of the Sallie Mae student loan company, titledGraduate Students and Credit Cards in 2006: An Analysis of Usage Rates and Trendssheds light on the growing number of students relying on credit.

According to the study more than 90 percent of graduate students have a credit card and the average outstanding balance is more than $8,600. In addition, 94 percent of respondents use a credit card to fund a portion of their educational costs.

This is an important time to get this information in their hands,Frazier said.Many of our medical, dental and pharmacy students are close to entering the work force and are interested in learning more about saving, investing and budgeting their money.

For Amanda DiPasquale, a second-year, pharmacy student from Clarksburg, the Wallet Watch seminar she attended in October provided critical information.

This financial information is important for everyone, especially college students who want to take a proactive approach towards managing their credit correctly after graduation,she said.The seminar provided information that is simply not taught in a classroom setting.

The Wallet Watch presentations will feature speakers from the Financial Aid Office along with local, financial professionals who have partnered with the program. Although the outside speakers are not allowed to solicit the students, they can provide a wealth of up-to-date information and resources on financial topics.

Plans to record each presentation are under way, and the department hopes to post the videos to its Web site (http://www.finaid.wvu.edu/) to make the information more accessible for students not able to attend the sessions.

The next sessionscheduled for noon Tuesday, Nov. 27, in Room 1905 in the Health Sciences Center learning centerwill focus on investment terminology and the fundamentals of investment options and is open to WVU students.

Advanced registration is requested, but not necessary to attend. For more information or to register, contact Eric Meadows, senior financial aid counselor, at 304-293-5302 or eric.meadows@mail.evu.edu .