Student Credit Cards – A Lesson In Money Management

Student credit cards can be useful. As trite as that sounds, it’s the best way I can describe them, from very personal experiences. Allow me to tell you about a few things that happened to me in my freshman year, and shed some light on the foggy misconceptions of student credit.

I was not a privileged student as far as finances went. I was constantly searching for ways to acquire funds just to cover my tuition and book expenses. Other kids got to blow their parents money on liquor or ultra trendy/preppy frat apparel (pastel colored polo shirts and chino khakis galore, don’t forget your $80 sandals), while I scratched and clawed to just get to class. At one time I attempted to sustain myself by playing poker, but that proved to be a futile idea.

It got to the point that I had been kicked out of the university multiple times in both semesters of my first year. Ironically, each time I was only coming up about $300 short of payment, though that was enough for me to have to scramble for some new plan to save my credit hours. Of course, once I made payment and was re-admitted into school, I’d be hit with a $200 late registration fee, and the cycle would begin all over again.

While I was suffering, there was an easy solution directly in front of my face each time I passed my bank. A student credit card typically has a spending limit of about $500 – $1,000. It’s deliberately set low so students learn to spend sparingly, and banks are protected against witless college kids spending half of their cash reserve and then failing to make payment. However, my periodic bills of $200 and $300 would fit snugly under that limit, and even leave enough on top for me to have enjoyed a few small luxuries.

I walked past all the signs for student credit cards without even looking because I was raised with the stigma that many college kids have, that of the parentally-installed thinking that credit cards are bad news if you’re young. Potentially because so many parents have found themselves on the wrong side of the credit and interest equation, thereby believing their offspring will fall into the same trap.

I wish I hadn’t thought that. I could have been spared so much trouble – and so many late fees – if I’d just applied for a card.

Some student credit cards also require a co-signer. Banks do this as a safety net for themselves and the student, in the event the student can not make payment, and you can’t blame them for wanting to cover the symbolic rear-ends of all parties involved.

Students facing my former plight may fear the high interest rates student credit cards have compared to other cards. That’s entirely understandable, and credit cards shouldn’t be taken lightly. However if you’re responsible enough to handle the payments, you can build good credit early, which will give you endless advantages later in life.

College credit cards are the credit cards that have been specially designed for college students. College credit cards are more popularly known as student credit cards. College credit cards allow the students to experience the benefits of credit cards much earlier in their life.

Through college credit cards, the college students are able to learn more about credit cards and their use. In fact, for most of the students, their college credit card is their first credit card that acts as a gateway to the world of credit cards. Some other students might have previously used supplementary credit cards linked to their father’s credit card account; however, for such students too, their college credit card is the first one that is truly theirs.

College credit cards are not very different from other types of credit cards in the basic sense; they function in the same way as any credit card would. However, there are some differences, which basically arise from the fact that college credit cards are used by people who have no prior experience with credit cards and who perhaps don’t understand the concept of credit cards completely.

So, the credit card supplier is at risk with issuing credit cards (college credit cards) to such people whom he is not sure about. Most of the students don’t have a credit history either. In such a case, the supplier of college credit card cannot be sure of receiving the credit card bill payments in time (and even receiving them at all).

To counter such risks, the supplier of college credit card requires the parent of the student to co-sign the college credit card application form as a guarantee. Moreover, the credit limit on college credit cards is generally around $500-$1000 per month, which is lower than what it is for other credit cards (this credit limit is generally sufficient to fulfill the typical needs of a student).

Another risk mitigation instrument used by the college credit card suppliers is the interest rate or APR. The APR on college credit cards is generally higher than that for other credit cards. Again, this is done to dissuade the students from overspending on their college credit card (and finally not being able to pay their credit card bills).

However, if we were to look at these impositions in a positive sense, we would find that these are actually in favor of the student (who is still getting trained to take on the real world of credit cards). Moreover, college credit cards also help the students in establishing a (good) credit history which is another important benefit that becomes handy when the student needs any type of loan at a later stage in his/her life.

So, college student credit cards are really something that every student should consider going for. As long as the cards are not misused, getting a credit card while still in college can be a very good learning experience