MBA Finances
Budgeting Tools
Many students rely on the expense estimates provided on this website when budgeting for schooling. The estimates provided here have been determined by the university, and are on the conservative side. There is general consensus among students at Haas that the numbers do not accurately reflect a typical Haas student's budget.
Because many students borrow money through a variety of educational loan programs in order to finance their expenses while at the Haas School, it's important to understand your current financial status. If you have outstanding undergraduate educational debt or other consumer loans (such as a car loan, mortgage, credit cards, etc.), you need to understand what your repayment obligation is and how this will affect your ability to handle additional debt. Developing a personal budget can help in detailing your specific monthly expenses and what resources you will have available to cover those expenses.
The easiest way to develop a personal budget is to use worksheets or a budget calculator. The important thing to remember is that your goal is to determine how much you spend each MONTH on the various items you purchase/pay for. It should be as detailed and as accurate as possible.
The links below are to external sites:
The In-School Budget Calculator from Access Group will give you a monthly, as well as yearly, breakdown of your expenses and resources.
Financial Fitness Tools from Mapping Your Future contains tips on how to keep in control of your expenses, information on credit, as well as tips on establishing a budget.
Making the Money Last, from the Princeton Review, provides tips on how to make sure the funds from your loan disbursements last as long as they are supposed to.
