Financial wellness webinars
No matter where you are on your educational path, we have the tools to help you achieve success. Catch our live webinars or watch a recording of a prior webinar. We discuss planning for school, financial aid, how to search for scholarships and more.
Upcoming professional development series
Resources, tools, and best practices to help you assist students and families on their higher education journey. Attend a free, live webinar, or watch a recording of a prior webinar. Together we can help students make informed decisions and pursue their education with confidence.
Check back later this summer for the fall webinar schedule.
Watch our past webinars
Options to pay your remaining balance
April 2025
Many students and families will consider financing a portion of their college education. This session will focus on encouraging responsible borrowing and what students and families can do to find the right solution for their borrowing needs.
1-2-3 approach to paying for college
April 2025
If college is in your future, you will want to join this webinar to help you plan and pay for college. You will learn about:
- Saving for college – it is never too late!
- How to select a college and how much it will cost
- FAFSA® - what, why and how
- Understanding a financial aid offer
- How to find and apply for scholarships and grants – FREE $$$
- Education loan options
- Free tools and resources to make the process easier
PLEASE NOTE: Our experts will present this webinar in Spanish.
Navigating financial aid offers
March 2025
After being accepted to college, students will receive a financial aid offer that outlines your financial aid eligibility at that specific school. Each financial aid offer will contain similar overall information but since there’s no standard format, they can be difficult to interpret. In this session you will learn how to decipher each financial aid offer so you can confidently determine which college is the best fit.
Navigating financial aid offers
February 2025
After being accepted to college, students will receive a financial aid offer that outlines your financial aid eligibility at that specific school. Each financial aid offer will contain similar overall information but since there’s no standard format, they can be difficult to interpret. In this session you will learn how to decipher each financial aid offer so you can confidently determine which college is the best fit.
PLEASE NOTE: Our experts will present this webinar in Spanish.
Helping Black Families Navigate the Admissions Process
February 2025
The entire college admissions process seemed challenging before, but emerging issues, such as the emergence of artificial intelligence on college essay writing, have students feeling overwhelmed. Join us for a discussion with Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown, authors of “The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions, Second Edition”, where we’ll discuss several topics helpful to navigating college admissions, including important factors students should consider when choosing a college.
The first step to finding the money you need for college: Completing the FAFSA®
December 2024
Join our experts for an overview of the FAFSA®, also highlighting some of last year's changes. We’ll share helpful tips and information to help you complete your FAFSA® and find the money you need to pay for college.
Completing the FAFSA®: Finding Free Money for College
November 2024
PLEASE NOTE: Our experts will present this webinar in Spanish.
Scholarships can be a huge help to college-bound students and their families, but many don’t know where to find them, or how to apply. During this session students and families will learn key tips on applying for scholarships, how to create a winning scholarship essay, and more. We’ll also share helpful tips and information to help you complete your FAFSA® and find the money you need to pay for college.
Presenters
Ed Gonzalez Assistant Region Head East, Business Development
Sergio Gonzalez Assistant Region Head West, Business Development
Scholarships - finding free money for college
November 2024
Scholarships can be a huge help to college-bound students and their families, but many don’t know where to find them, or how to apply. During this session students and families will learn key tips on applying for scholarships, how to create a winning scholarship essay, and more.
Your 1-2-3 Approach to Paying for College
Please note: Our experts will present this webinar in Spanish
September 2024
If college is in your future, you will want to join this webinar to help you plan and pay for college. You will learn about:
- Saving for college – it is never too late!
- How to select a college and how much it will cost
- FAFSA® - what, why and how
- Understanding a financial aid offer
- How to find and apply for scholarships and grants – FREE $$$
- Education loan options
- Free tools and resources to make the process easier
What’s the real cost of college? How to plan now.
September 2024
If college is in your future, you will want to join this webinar to help you plan and pay for college. You will learn about:
- Saving for college – it is never too late!
- How to select a college and how much it will cost
- FAFSA® - what, why and how
- Understanding a financial aid offer
- How to find and apply for scholarships and grants – FREE $$$
- Education loan options
- Free tools and resources to make the process easier.
How America Succeeds after College
May 2025
For most students pursuing higher education, a college degree is not a goal in itself; rather it is a steppingstone that will set them up for success in the future. Join us for a discussion of Sallie Mae’s brand-new research study "How America Succeeds After College," where we will uncover how young college graduates view success at this stage in their lives. We’ll dive in to understand what contributes or prevents them from feeling successful, what actions taken before, during and shortly after college have the greatest impact, and what can be done to ensure that more grads succeed.
Show me the Signs: How to Recognize and Prevent Student Loan Fraud
March 2025
Join our panelists for an insightful session where we will share tips to help protect your institution from deceptive practices in the student loan process. This presentation, along with school panelists, will explore the evolving tactics used by fraudsters to exploit the student loan system and the risks they pose for institutions and lenders alike. This session will highlight strategies for fraud prevention and steps to take if you suspect fraud.
Scholarships. An important piece of the yield puzzle
February 2025
Scholarships can be a huge help for college-bound and currently enrolled students seeking financial assistance. They play an important part in the college decision-making process and can help improve retention. During this session, you will gain valuable insights about the importance of free money, how searching for scholarships falls within the typical college planning timeline, and the resources available. Sallie Mae’s Director of Relationship Management, Elise Sanders, and dynamic school panelists will introduce tools, resources, and best practices to help your students optimize their scholarship search.
How America Pays for College 2024: Spotlight on HBCU Insights
December 2024
Historically Black Colleges and Universities play a major role in fostering equal access in education and advancing social progress, academic excellence, and cultural awareness in the United States. Join us for a panel conversation based on the most recent research findings from Sallie Mae’s How America Pays for College 2024. The discussion will include how students attending these institutions made their college decisions, what sources of funding families used, and how well HBCUs are preparing students for life after college.
Fueling your enrollment objectives: The value of transparency and simplicity in connecting with today’s students
November 2024
When making an enrollment decision, students and families aren’t just concerned with cost and fit. They are also looking for readily available information as well as transparency and simplicity in the college financing process. At the core of a positive student experience is a focus on meeting their expectations of having a personalized experience that is authentic, easy to navigate, and more. Sallie Mae and a panel of college and university colleagues will discuss industry best practices and strategies for increasing engagement with the students you serve throughout the enrollment process.
How America Pays for College 2024
October 2024
With more than 16 million students enrolling in undergraduate programs this fall, the topic of how families pay for college is ever- relevant. Join us for a conversation based on the most recent research findings from Sallie Mae’s How America Pays for College 2024 report. We’ll discuss how families relied on different sources of funding, what meaningful trends are impacting families’ paying-for-college strategies, the impact of the new FAFSA® rollout, and even how AI is used in college planning.
How America Completes College 2024
April 2024
The college journey isn’t a race, it’s a marathon. From the search for the right schools, the stress of applications, the emotions of acceptance, the discovery of future careers, and the challenge of figuring out how to pay – just to get to the start. Navigating the path to graduation is equally, if not more, important. With 62% of undergraduate students walking the stage at a commencement ceremony, it’s clear that there are many challenges on the road to college completion. Join us as we discuss our latest study - Sallie Mae’s How America Completes College 2024 - and examine the college experience through the lens of completion to uncover what separates students who are on track from those who are at-risk and discuss what opportunities exist to help more students complete their programs.