In hopes of educating both students and alumni on how to handle finances, Linfield College has paired with SALTSM, a new membership program that helps members manage student loans and finances.

American Student Assistance, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower students and alumni to successfully manage and repay their college loan debt, created SALT. The name SALT was chosen for the program because that is the first form of money, and it is not an acronym.

“I see SALT [being] beneficial to both students and alumni,” said Jennifer Knight, associate director of financial aid, in an email. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to become more financially savvy, whether they’ve borrowed student loans or not?”

Because Linfield College has teamed with SALTSM, it is free for students to make an account. SALTSM also receives aid from other nonprofit organizations and colleges.

After students and alumni activate their SALT accounts, they have access to multiple features within SALT, such as financial literacy tools, scholarship searches, member benefits such as discounts to retailers, internship and job searches, all of this in addition to the student loan interactive dashboard.

Students can also upload their federal student loans and private education loans to review repayment options and proactive approaches to repaying their loans successfully, according to Knight.

“Most of us will want to purchase a car or finance a major item at some point. SALT has a section called “Money Coach” that addresses making a large purchase,” Knight said. “So, even if students or alumni have not borrowed a student loan while attending college, they can still benefit from SALT.”

Students are also able to download a free App for SALT, Fixx It, making it easier to track spending habits and adjust their budgets.

For more information about SALTSM, go to their website at www.saltmoney.org/Linfield, call member support at 855.469.2724 or follow SALT at Facebook.com/saltmoney or on Twitter at @SALT_MONEY.

Samantha Sigler / Editor-in-chief

Samantha Sigler can be reached at [email protected].