Credit Cards and College Students

Every year hundreds of thousands of students head to college in Pennsylvania, almost half of them will be carrying at least one credit card. What’s more, students will be inundated with opportunities to apply for even more credit cards once they arrive at school, through on-campus promotions and applications in their mailboxes. With so much “easy credit” available, it is critical that young adults understand how important it is to live within their means and avoid getting into ballooning credit card debt. Poor credit decisions made in college can often follow a person for the rest of his or her life. This advisory provides general credit advice for students on credit card usage from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.