Financial Wellness: Building Confidence for Life and Career
At LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Nursing, financial wellness is about more than balancing budgets. It’s about building the confidence, stability and lifelong skills that allow students to fully focus on their education and future careers in nursing.
“Financial wellness and academic success are closely connected,” says Anna Daigle, MEd, FAAC, Director of Student Financial Aid. “When students feel confident in managing their finances – including budgeting effectively, understanding aid, and minimizing debt – they experience less stress and are better able to focus on their studies.”
That connection between financial security and academic performance is one reason financial wellness is a key pillar of the university’s “Be Well: Student Success and Wellness” initiative. By giving students the tools to plan ahead and manage their money wisely, the school is helping them thrive both in and beyond the classroom.
Understanding and Addressing Financial Stress
Nursing students face unique financial pressures, balancing the costs of tuition, housing and day-to-day expenses while managing demanding academic schedules that often leave little time for full-time work. These challenges can lead to anxiety and affect academic performance.
To help alleviate that stress, LSUHSC-NO offers a range of resources, from hardship waivers and scholarships to personalized financial counseling.
“Personalized financial counseling can empower students to make informed decisions and reduce long-term financial strain,” Daigle says. “The goal is to help them stay focused on their education while feeling more secure about their finances.”
Tools and Resources for Financial Success
The Office of Student Financial Aid provides both individual guidance and digital tools to help students strengthen their financial wellness. Through workshops, classroom sessions and one-on-one appointments, students learn practical skills like budgeting, managing credit and understanding student loans.
“When students feel confident in managing their finances, they experience less stress and are better able to focus on their studies.”
– Anna Daigle, MEd, FAAC, Director of Student Financial Aid
One of the most impactful resources is iGrad, an online financial literacy platform that will launch in January 2026 for all students.
“iGrad offers personalized lessons on budgeting, credit and student loans,” Daigle says. “It’s interactive and tailored to each student’s goals.”
Students are also encouraged to explore budgeting apps such as Mint, YNAB (You Need a Budget) and EveryDollar, which make it easier to track expenses and create financial plans. Together, these tools help students establish healthy financial habits that support both academic focus and long-term stability.
Preparing for Life After Graduation
As students near graduation, Daigle and her team guide them in reviewing their borrowing history, understanding repayment options and setting realistic post-graduation budgets.
“It’s important for students to think beyond immediate expenses and begin planning for long-term financial stability,” she says. “We encourage students to start building an emergency fund and to create a realistic budget that accounts for living costs, insurance and loan payments.”
This proactive approach ensures that students enter the workforce with a clear financial road map, one that allows them to concentrate on what matters most: their professional growth and the care they provide to others.
Financial Wellness Beyond the Classroom
Financial well-being isn’t just essential for students; it’s also deeply connected to the work nurses do every day.
“Nurses play an important role in helping patients manage the impact of financial stress on their overall health,” Daigle says. “By listening with empathy and connecting patients to resources like social workers or assistance programs, nurses can help reduce financial barriers to care.”
