Be Smart With Your Credit

Credit Card Education for College Students

A credit score indicates to a lender if you are strong in money management
When you open a credit card, it allows you to start building a credit score
Building your credit as a college student will help with future employment, loans, and rentals
Your credit score is based on your payment history, amount owed, your history and experience with credit accounts, and your credit activity
Your credit utilization is the amount of credit you are using divided by the amount of credit available
You can obtain a free copy of your credit report every year

Treat your credit card like a debit card and only spend what you can pay on your next statement
Only carry one major credit card. Card juggling is the quickest route to a bad credit score
Research the best card for you and always choose one with no annual fee
Read the fine print—promotional cards often have hidden conditions
If you are not approved for a credit card use Experian Boost to build your credit score, https://www.experian.com/credit/score-boost/

The average interest rate for a credit card among student users is 20.03% (wallthub.com).

To educate yourself further regarding credit cards and credit scores, please visit:

To request the free copy of your credit report, visit one of the three major credit bureaus: