Regularly, on Fort Street Mall, solicitors for Discover, Visa, and Master Card invite students to apply.  They make it easy by bribing students with T-shirts, water bottles, and even calling cards.

From a student's point of view, credit cards are tempting.  Many have just graduated from high school, and for the first time in their lives they are independent - no parents around to control their spending.

Or to cover expenses.  College students often rely on credit cards when low on cash. 

About 78 percent of undergraduate college students have at least one credit card, according to a Web site that tracks student credit, Sallie Mae.com (Sep 28, 2001).

Establishing credit is not a bad thing to do; however, overusing a credit card or having a credit card can bring financial difficulties as debts mount up.  If you do choose to apply for a credit card, go with a card that requires no annual fee, six-month free interest, and a student rate of 9.9 percent annually.

When using a credit card be responsible and spend wisely.  Don't buy every item in sight.  the more debt you incur, the harder time you will have paying it.  Especially since most graduates start at less than$40,000 dollars year.

Sallie Mae, shows that undergraduates in the year 2000 carried an average of $2,748 dollars in credit card debt.  If the annual percentage rate on a credit card is 18 percent and a student makes only a minimum monthly payment of between two and three percent of the balance, it will take years to pay off $2,748 assuming no additional charges.