Students in need of financial consultation can now find guidance at the Student Financial Management Center.The Center’s goals are to educate students through online resources and reach out to student organizations and faculty members, said Emily Burris, coordinator in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Life.”The average college student was more than $3,000 in debt last year, and 39 percent of graduating seniors have unmanageable debt,” Burris said.The center is currently Web intensive, but Burris said she will meet with students one-on-one by request.Student organizations and faculty can also request presentations from the center on topics like money management, identity theft and general financial literacy.Burris said she hopes to expand the center to facilitate more in-person consultations and someday include a peer mentoring service.”We’re trying to create the biggest impact on the smallest budget, and we want to teach students the same practice,” Burris said.The Web site offers tools like a financial glossary, calculators and checklists to help students budget more efficiently.Student finances are organized online into the categories of “earn, spend, save and repay,” Burris said.”The Web site also includes more fun links like how to eat healthy on a budget and a financial dictionary,” Burris said.Burris splits her time working in student assessment and managing the center.”When you say center, you usually think some huge operation, but it’s really just me,” Burris said.She said the idea for the center was first developed by Eric Monday, Vice Chancellor of Financial and Administrative Services. It started from scratch in August 2009. Burris promoted the program through presentations and workshops throughout the fall and launched the Web site in January 2010.The center is located in B-4 Coates Hall.—-Contact Grace Montgomery at [email protected].