Managing money is one of the tougher parts of life—especially on a student budget. If you find yourself struggling with your finances or don’t know where to start, don’t feel bad. It's normal. The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out on your own. We’re here to help.
Think you can’t beat debt? Call the pig and you’ll be set.
Who the heck are we?
We’re financial wellness geeks with an undeniable urge to help everyone in the IU community—from undergrads, grads, faculty, and staff, to incoming and prospective students—with their money knowledge and questions.
When you make an appointment, you’ll meet with one of our Student Financial Educators. They’re IU undergraduate and graduate students, so they understand the questions you have. Even better, as financial gurus in the making, they can create a plan for your finances that aligns with your values and your situation.
Some of the financial topics we can help you with:
- Budgeting
- Credit and credit cards
- Student loans
- Debt
- Workplace benefits
- Study abroad
- Major purchases
- Interpersonal relationships
- Identity theft
- Financial well-being
- And more!
Student Financial Educators
Whether you need help putting together a budget or have a more complicated situation, we’re here to help. We offer free and confidential appointments for current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and alumni of all IU campuses. We are available virtually for all campuses and individuals. If you are at IU Bloomington, we can meet with you in person too!
Our Student Financial Educators
Ella Boehme
My name is Ella and I'm from Libertyville, Illinois. I'm studying finance and accounting and plan to become a financial advisor after I graduate in 2026. I like this job because it helps me become more involved in the IU community and helps other students learn more about their personal finances. I'm also involved in Beta Alpha Psi and the IU Run Club. In my free time, I like to run, bake, and spend time outdoors!
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Ethan Cho
Hi! My name is Ethan Cho and I’m graduating in 2026 with majors in finance and international business. I’m from Moraga, California, a small suburb of San Francisco. If you’re familiar with St. Mary’s basketball, that’s where I’m from! I am a member of the Financial Planning Association, Baseball and Sabermetrics Club, Intercollegiate Bowling Club, and the IUDM Logistics Committee. I love music and play cello in an orchestra at Jacobs as part of my music minor. I’m also a big Oakland A’s fan (times have been rough lately), love managing fantasy sports teams, and enjoy traveling. I’m looking forward to meeting and working with you!
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Sam Farbstein
My name is Sam and I’m from Mason, Ohio. I’m graduating from IU in May 2025 with majors in finance and accounting and a history minor. In my free time I enjoy running, golfing, and traveling (I made it to my 50th state this past summer). As a finance major, I love the idea of utilizing numbers to inform real-world decision-making; something that I'm proud to be able to apply towards positively impacting other lives through my work here at the Office of Financial Wellness & Education.
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Gracie Fisher
How’s your budget coming along? Need some extra tips on paying for college? Want to talk about financial stress in general? I’m graduating in 2026 with majors in finance, economic consulting, and business analytics and would love to meet with you to talk about these topics… and anything in between!
When I’m not at home visiting my friends and family in Fishers, IN, you can find me throwing hot dogs and t-shirts into the crowd at home football and basketball games, singing my heart out at county music concerts, and tearing up the slopes on my snowboard in the winter.
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Henry Venker
My hometown is St. Louis, Missouri and I am graduating in December 2024 with a major in Finance. Working as a Student Financial Educator has been a great experience, and it has been rewarding to help fellow students, parents, or staff make better financial decisions. A few of my hobbies include cars and pickleball; I've also recently found an interest in motorcycles.
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Nihanth Vuddanti
Hello everyone, I am Nihanth, a current master's in data science student from Luddy SICE, graduating in May 2024. I am an international student from a city called Hyderabad in India. Besides my work and studies, I like to spend my leisure time reading books and playing computer games like Call of Duty and CS:GO. I also like playing sports like cricket, badminton and racquetball.
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Austin Woolston
I mostly grew up in Terre Haute, IN. My major is Economics, and I'm on track to graduate from IU in May 2025. When I'm not studying or working, you can find me at the gym trying to get big. I love to exercise by lifting weights and going for walks. I have also been trying my hand in the kitchen by cooking new things. One of the main reasons I like working for MoneySmarts is that it feels rewarding to help improve our clients' financial wellness.
LinkedInHow are we going to help you achieve financial wellness?
We can talk it out
Got a serious money problem? Just need help putting together a budget? We offer free and confidential appointments for current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and alumni of all IU campuses.
We are available virtually for all campuses and individuals. If you are at IU Bloomington, we can meet with you in person too!
We can even make it a party...
Have a group, organization, or class that wants to learn together? We will speak on the financial topic of your choice. All presentations are FREE to you and your group.
We’re happy to give a presentation to just about anybody, whether you’re a student, faculty or staff member, or a community organization. Just let us know you’re interested and we’ll get the ball rolling.
