Dec. 4, 2004 – “Plastics make it possible.” 

While the American Plastics Council is referring to the “everyday miracles” of plastic safety products in their popular commercial, many college student are more familiar with the miracle a plastic credit card offers – instant purchase power.

Credit card companies aggressively target college students.  Nellie Mae, a student loan company, claims college students are a good credit risk for companies and companies “stand to profit from college students since most students continue to use their card for years.”

Credit card marketers are familiar faces on most college campuses.  OCU was blitzed with a credit card marketing promotion last month as reported in the Nov. 17 edition of The Campus.

A marketing group distributed fliers advertising free pizza. In order for students to claim their slice they had to fill out a credit card application. 

On Nov. 24, Sgt. Marci Acosta, OCU security officer, warned students of a “possible credit card scam” in an e-mail. 

Acosta said students had received calls from companies who claimed to have received their names from the OCU Career Services office. 

The OCU Career Services office has not released this information. 

Acosta recommends being cautious when dealing with solicitors.

The solicitation OCU students have witnessed is part of a growing trend on college campuses.

Jeff Hoffman, electrical engineering sophomore at the University of Oklahoma,  said solicitation in a familiar activity on the Norman campus.

“It happens at least once a month and every Saturday for home football games,” Hoffman said.  

“People are always set up giving out OU T-shirts and hats.  Now that it is starting to get colder, they have switched to sweatshirts.”

But the problem isn’t unique to Oklahoma.

In a survey conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups, 58 percent of college student stated credit card marketers were on their campus for at least two days during the first two months of the semester.

Eighty percent of students who signed up for a credit card from on campus marketers did so for the free merchandise. 

Students who signed up at a campus marketing table tend to have higher unpaid balances than their peers, according to the study. 

Unpaid balances can cause students to sustain large debt and fall behind in their payments.

Brooke Boevers, theater freshman, does not have credit cards

“College students shouldn’t have credit cards unless they have the job and finances to support them,” Boevers said.

For information on how to make smart money choices, how to stay out of debt, and how to learn to budget students can contact the university’s licensed professional counselor, Sherry Sage, at 523-4994 or ssage@okcu.edu.