According to Gitayuda (2023), financial planning is essential for students to manage daily expenses, prioritize needs over wants, prepare for emergencies, and avoid impulsive spending driven by wasteful habits. However, many students still lack sufficient financial knowledge, leading to poor money management decisions. A financial plan outlines a person’s current circumstances and long-term objectives and establishes the spending, saving, and investing strategies that will help achieve those objectives (Manning, 2025). Universities play a key role in supporting the government’s goal of expanding financial accessibility and preparing students for economic challenges ahead. This research uses a qualitative approach, a type of research that collects and analyzes non-numerical data, such as interviews, observations, and texts, to understand concepts, experiences, or social meanings in depth (Bhandari, 2020). It integrates design thinking to create a user-centered application that aligns with student preferences. A S.W.O.T analysis evaluates current financial literacy resources and student behaviors, while the AISAS model helps understand students’ decision-making and engagement with financial content. Similar media analysis reviews existing application to identify best practices. Importantly, the application is integrated with a licensed partner bank under the supervision and collaboration of Bank Indonesia and the Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) to ensure secure, trust, reliable financial services and seamless transactions, thereby building strong user trust. The result is a financial planning application prototype designed to guide students in managing their finances and improving financial habits, with a strong emphasis on setting and achieving savings goals to support wiser financial decisions.
Keywords: Financial Literacy, Mobile Application, User Interface, University Students