Navigating Financial Stress
Apr. 15, 2026
Financial Confidence
If money has been on your mind lately, you’re not alone. Financial stress is common in college. It can show up as anxiety, avoidance, or just feeling like you’re constantly behind.
What Financial Stress Can Look Like
- Avoiding checking your bank account
- Feeling anxious about spending
- Constantly thinking about money
- Putting off bills or decisions
- Comparing your situation to others
Start with Small Steps
Try:
- Check your account balances
- List your upcoming expenses
- Identify one bill or payment to prioritize
- Open an email you’ve been avoiding
JHU Resources
You don’t have to figure this out alone—there are resources available at JHU to support you:
- Student Financial Support (SFS): Help understanding your aid, adjusting your plan, or talking through changes.
- Financial Wellness: Workshops, events, and tools to provide you additional insights into your financial situation, and tools for how to take steps forward.
- Life Design Lab: Support with jobs & internship seeking.
- University Experiential Learning (UEL) / SMILE: Find on-campus jobs and opportunities to earn income.
- Student Outreach & Support (SOS): Case Managers can provide one on one support as well as resources & support to help students navigate their individual situations. They also have an Emergency Fund application for students experiencing financial hardship.
- Hopkins Food Pantry
Focus on What You Can Control
- Track what’s coming in and going out
- Adjust one spending category
- Make a short-term plan (this month, not the whole year)