Credit cards can be invaluable tools for college students. Using a credit card is more convenient than cash, and may help a young adult build credit that will be useful throughout his adult life. However, before a student applies for a credit card, he needs to know how credit works and the consequences associated with the misuse of a credit card. Credit can be very helpful, but may also be dangerous if one does not use it properly.
Many students apply for a credit card as a way to have extra spending money, without realizing that the money has to be repaid. Students should have an income in order to repay their credit card purchases. Unfortunately, many students do not pay off their cards, and therefore incur large amounts of debt. Student credit cards are more likely to have higher interest rates than others’ cards due to the lower credit scores students usually have. The combination of the initial debt and high interest rates coupled with late fees and the deterioration of one’s credit score can initiate a seemingly perpetual cycle of debt early in a young adult’s life.
Another mistake many students make is to not evaluate their financial options well. In 2008, 30% of students used their credit cards to pay for educational expenses with the average cumulative amount charged for direct educational expenses being $2,200 (SallieMae). Students are choosing to put educational expenses on credit cards with interest rates upwards of 16%, (Silver-Greenberg) instead of taking out a student loan with much lower rates and better payment terms (SallieMae).
Students need to be aware of the financial machine formed by the partnership between colleges and credit card companies. Michigan State University has an $8.4 million con...
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... lifestyles of our favorite celebrities and characters on television, and we have to realize that it is nearly impossible for a normal person, let alone a college student, to live so extravagantly. People cannot let their measure of success be so materialistic. “While driving a new car or sporting the latest fashions might be more visible to others, having no financial debt is a more accurate measure of success,” (Rodriguez).
Credit cards are not necessarily evil objects that destroy the lives of students. In fact, college students tend to be more responsible than older adults with credit cards (Norvilitis). The dangers of credit card use simply needs to be understood, similar to the dangers of driving a car--harm is not imminent, but the risk still exists. If the card is used properly and responsibly, credit can be a beneficial and convenient means of tender.
Martin and Lehren’s article “A Generation Hounded by the Soaring Cost of College” addresses the issue faced by current and former college students dealing with large amounts of debt due to student loans. The article presents the reader with stories of former college students who have either graduated or dropped out, and their struggle to pay off their student loans. The article also talks about issues such as students not being informed about high amounts of student loans and why student debts have increased. Martin and Lehren also make the issue of student debt more intimidating by giving examples of high amounts of student loans students have had. The article gives a very hard reality check to anyone reading as to how bad the problem of student debt is.
Carneval, director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce agrees that going into debt until you’ll be earning more money is the way to pay for your education. “The only thing worse than borrowing is not borrowing and not going to college at all,” stated Patrick M. Callahan, president of the National Center for the Public Policy and Higher Education. Lauren J. Asher, President of the Project on Student Debt group, states that the financial risk has increased. Ms. Asher points out that more students graduate with at least $40k in student-loan debt, “People lose control of their finances, and sometimes they make choices you wish they hadn’t made.” Darla M. Horn, an organizer of the student-loan-debt art show in Long Island City, NY realized she hadn’t been aware of how much money she had borrowed while in college. Referring to herself as financially illiterate, she found herself “just signing the documents and faxing them
Kovak, Marc. “Survey suggests credit card companies unfairly target college students.” 31 March 2013. ProQuest. Mira Costa College Library, San Elijo. 15 Oct. 2014.
To understand the student debt crisis, one must first understand what caused it and what results from it. College undergraduates use student loans to finance the cost of tuition, room, board, transportation, and personal expenses while attending (Gage and Lorin). Student loans are different from other forms of debt because basic consumer rights like bankruptcy protection don’t apply to students who default on their loans. As a result, students are virtually locked into their debt, offering them little to no ability to refinance it. Solutions to debt problems like consolidation are available to students but that process doesn’t involve shopping for a better deal from competing lenders like it does in other debt areas. Therefore, interest rates often remain high and the loans remain with the original lender (Vanegeren). As Kayla Webley expl...
For the past decade, The United States has stressed the importance of college education, to those seeking employment, and better careers. For most people, college is the logical next step in education, as it provides a working knowledge of a desired field and opens the door to many opportunities, but college has become increasingly more expensive as time goes on. Many people feel that college is no longer an option financially. Even with financial aid and scholarships, the cost of a college education can still be very taxing. This is due to massive price increase across the boards, but the main issue on most people’s minds is the debt that will be acquired from higher education.
Children of the twenty first century spend nearly 13 years in school, preparing for what is college, one of the only ways to achieve the so-called “American Dream”. College is the best way to start an advanced career and go further than one possibly could if college degrees were not available, allowing people to achieve their view of the American Dream; whether it be large houses, shiny cars, multiple kids, or financial comfort, college is the stepping stone to achieve the American Dream. But all great things come with a price, college dragging along debt. Students who attend college struggle to find ways to pay for it, leading to applying for student loans. These loans a great short term, paying for the schooling at the moment but eventually the money adds up
We now live in a society where kids start their adult lives “in the red”, as their debt exceeds their income. (Draut, 2005) 60 years ago this wasn’t the case, as told by Studs Terkel in Hard Times-An Oral History of The Great Depression, “I had no idea how long $30 would last, but it sure would have to go a long way because I had nothing else. The semester fee was $22, so that left me $8 to go.” (Turkel, 1970) Imagine that! 60 years ago tuition was $22 dollars a semester! Furthermore, 45% of adults under 35 state they find themselves resorting to credit card use for basic living expenses like rent, groceries and utilities, (Draut, 2005) adding to their mounting debt. This use of credit puts them into an entirely different category of indebtedness: survival debt. (Draut, 2005) Imagine being forced to borrow to live! (Draut, 2005) If a car breaks down or someone gets sick, the only option available is using a credit card. (Draut,
In the Spring of 1949, Alfred Bloomingdale, Frank McNamara, and Ralph Snyder came up with a new plan for a modern type of credit card. While out to lunch one day in New York, the President of the New York Credit Card Company Frank McNamara had forgotten his wallet at home (Evans 53) . He had a thriving business yet credit cards at the time were only given to selected people. The first modern credit cards was introduced by Diners Club Inc. because of this. The modern day credit card is a small, plastic, rectangle, more than three inches. There is an account number and a name that is embroidered on the front. The first credit card did not look much like what credit cards look today. They were made out of paper not plastic, and they weren’t cards they were a lot like a tiny booklet that had all the same information the modern day credit card has now(Weiss 38). The modern day credit card can carry up to a $200 line of credit meaning you can buy anything you want at that certain time and pay it back at a later date such as months or a year after that time. Some companies require you to pay the full amount of your charge on the card at once, but some allow you to pay in small amounts. In order to apply for a credit card you must be at least eighteen years of age and if you are not you must have an adult sign the paperwork to apply for one. Prior ...
For this assignment I attended a credit card workshop. I decided to attend the “know your credit score” workshop for class because I wanted to get a better understanding of how credit works. Currently, I do not own a credit card and I am not too familiar with how the process of getting one and maintaining a good credit score works. Since I will be graduating this coming June and credit card companies will be contracting me soon after, I felt as though it would be to my best interest to start building a basic knowledge of how credit cards work. Additionally, I felt this workshop was important to attend because it would give me insight in how to maintain a good credit score and avoid some of the common mistake the people make with their credit cards. Lastly, since ones credit score is the basis of how they are judged of their reliability to payback loans and other general purchases I felt as though this would be a very informative and helpful workshop to attend.
My best friend from my childhood is a marketing agent’s dream. Constantly duped and deceived by flashy ads and predatory marketing, this kid will buy anything - usuall on credit. At last check, my friend had maxed out 4 credit cards to the tune of over $30,000. Very rarely did the money go for something necessary, like accommodation or food, but usually was spent on a multitude of gadgets, toys, and other assorted ‘guy-stuff.’ CDs, a subwoofer, X-boxes and PlayStations, new rims and tires…he even whipped out the plastic to cover the $5,000 for his girlfriend’s new boobs! In my humble opinion, this was probably one of his wiser purchases, but still highlights the fact that my friend has a serious problem managing his finances. Unfortunately, my friend is not alone, but is one of thousands of unassuming college students trapped by credit card debt.
As of 2016, American students have accrued a massive 1.3 trillion in student loan debt. Just 10 years ago, the nation’s balance was only $447 billion (Clements). This ever-present cumulative burden has caused many post graduate Americans to delay important life events such as marriage, homeownership and children because of this substantial encumbrance (Clements). The debt will only continue to grow with neglect, so the most effective action to take would be eliminating the cost altogether.
The reason there is a credit score is to show how reliable a person can be on paying their bills on time. There is a lot more behind the scenes then just numbers. These numbers actually build on the character of the person that is why your information is used by your employer, a lender, and insurance company. The credit card company is in business to make money you have the power in the relationship to use the credit card to your advantage.
Are they tempting fate by inviting the potential for problems? After all, one unexpected expense, and the credit card user won’t clear his/her balance…and before you know it…credit card debt.
There are numerous benefits and a numerous cons associated with every decision that anyone ever makes. Benefits Financially, credit cards can be good for people. Firstly, there is no way to survive in today’s market without credit. It’s sad for some people because you can’t buy anything without credit and you can’t get credit without buying anything. The issue here for a lot of people is it seems like a revolving
The introduction of the credit card first came around while the economy was booming in the early 1950’s. American consumers were in buy mode and the credit card was a genius idea to let people buy now and pay later. At first look this idea seemed great but what looks and sounds great does not always mean that it is going to be great overall. Over the years credit agencies have released thousands of credit cards with several questionable polices and high interest rates. “Any given American family in the present day possesses an average of eight credit cards with about 15,000 dollars of debt”(Canner 8). Many consumers have become addicted to wasteful cyclic consumption and living beyond their income due to the ownership of credit cards. The invention and continued implementation of credit cards into the American economic and social systems appears to be the cause of the struggling economy, the weakened U.S. dollar, the sky rocketing prices of gas and grocery store goods, the all-time highs of American debt, and social deprivation in some regions.