Financial Wellness

HOPES (Helping Oliners Plan Economic Success)

College students are just beginning to develop self-sufficiency and navigate independence in many areas of their lives, including financial wellness.  Olin is committed to offering students support through this important stage of growth.  The Office of Financial Aid aims to go beyond making an Olin education affordable; we also strive to help students build lifelong financial skills, in the hands-on, collaborative spirit that defines Olin.

Our HOPES financial wellness program is designed to:

  • Increase students’ comfort and confidence in discussing, managing, and taking ownership of their finances through open conversation, peer collaboration, and shared learning experiences.
  • Provide students with hands-on financial tools, practical exercises, and real-world strategies they can actively apply throughout college and beyond.
  • Help students collaboratively navigate financial decisions, build healthy financial habits, and avoid common mistakes through interactive workshops, discussion and experiential training.
  • Empower students to confidently address financial challenges by practicing problem-solving skills, asking questions, and learning how and where to seek support when they are unsure what to do.
  • Support senior students in preparing for life after graduation through hands-on planning, financial transition discussions, and collaborative conversations about post-Olin financial realities.
  • Foster a collaborative culture of financial wellness by providing all students access to olin.kindros.com, a financial wellness platform designed specifically for Oliners, where students and alumni can explore personalized, up-to-date resources, tools, and guidance using their olin.edu email address.

Past events include:

  • During Olin First Year Introduction, the Financial Aid Office leads a collaborative, hands-on workshop in which students use alumni-inspired career profiles to explore financial implications of career choices and make decisions about budgeting for housing, transportation, and other real-world expenses.
  • The Financial Aid Office offers monthly collaborative, hands-on financial wellness sessions tailored to students' interests and needs. Topics include budgeting, paychecks, taxes, debt, banking, investing, financial aid, insurance, and other personal finance skills. We listen to students' questions, provide guidance and resources, and help them develop their individual financial tools and action plans that fit their goals and circumstances, skills they can use throughout their time at Olin and beyond.
  • The Financial Aid Office hosts office hours across campus, meeting one-on-one and with student groups, to reduce barriers to seeking advice and assistance and speeding the process of helping students. By meeting students where they are and making assistance available on as flexible a basis as possible, The Financial Aid Office can quickly answer questions, address concerns, and provide personalized guidance in an approachable and accessible setting.
  • Students also have access to a customized financial education platform for the Olin community. Interactive modules and quizzes build foundational knowledge in budgeting, saving, credit, borrowing, insurance, housing, investing, and long-term financial planning.

Questions?  Please contact us at finaid@olin.edu or 781-292-2215.