Credit Cards for College Students - Building Credit Early

This article provides background on how credit cards for college students can provide an early start for young people in their quest to establish credit.

Credit cards for college students are available online. The downside is that card issuers realize that most students do not have a direction established. This is true, since if you go to college and ask students what are their goals, most will say, I haven’t decided yet, i.e. if they are just starting out in school.Card issuers are aware of this because at one time they were in college too. Therefore, credit cards for students often have high interest rates, annual fees, as well as other fees attached. If you have good credit, likely you will find a low rate card. If you are searching for credit cards for college students, it is wise to go online, search, and compare and contrast each card. This will give you an idea, of what the cards offer, as well as what the benefits from each card offer you.

The Internet lists several cards that are best suited for college students. The cards available come from leading card issuers. The search will help you save money and time, while guiding you to the best cards.

Card Offers

Several of the top student credit cards will offer 0% APR up to six months on balance transfers, cash advances, and purchases, providing you do not default on your credit card payments. I will quote the “0 liability,” since this is important. Some credit card issuers will charge you for unauthorized charges made on your card. I recommend that you check the liability agreement to weed out clauses or stipulations, making sure the 0% fees are legit. Some cards have no annual fee, and you will have the ability to manage your accounts free online at anytime, and best of all you will not need a cosigner, and only required to have minimum income. The regular APR’s on student credit cards are a bit steep, however if you pay the balance off before the grace period ends, the benefits will make up for the interest rates.

The downside is most students have not established a credit history. You might notice that each of the cards listed on some sites require that you have good or very good credit. This can set you back and force you to look somewhere else for credit cards. What do I do next?

Searching for Credit Cards

Sometimes if you scroll down the pages, you will notice to the left side of the page, or sometimes right side of the pages, additional links are available. Click on the student links and review the credit cards offered. Second, never give up. Simply because this is a good credit offer, if you do not have a good credit history, it is possible you can still get the card. You might have to pay higher interest rates at first, or possibly an annual fee, still you might be eligible for a college student card of your choice.

Melissa Clark

Melissa Clark is a personal finance reporter at Creditmergency. She has earned a master’s degree in business and economic reporting from New York University. Clark has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University and grew up in Miami, Fl.