IndexOpposing ViewpointSupport ResearchPersonal Amount In recent years, college students have begun to face more hardships and challenges than ever before. These problems include rising student loan debt, rising textbook costs, and a lack of adequate parking. However, one of the major problems facing college students today is the growing number of students burdened with large credit card debts. It is common practice at many colleges during orientation and beyond to have designated areas where students can apply for a variety of credit cards. While helpful and sometimes necessary for college students, credit cards can lead to rampant debt and other financial problems among students. Despite these dangers, college students should not be banned from obtaining credit cards because; it allows students to practice money management and mature as individuals, it allows them to develop a credit score, and it will allow students who go to school away from their parents to more easily obtain financial assistance from them. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayOpposing ViewpointDespite the positive aspects of allowing college students to get credit cards, support for preventing this comes from the numerous dangers associated with college credit card debt. The main opposition to allowing students to own credit cards comes from parents of students who have been negatively affected by the use of credit cards. A group of these individuals have even formed into an organization known as Parents for Removal of College Credit Cards, or PRC. (Cusa) These parents have seen their children face a multitude of tribulations due to credit card use, ranging from rampant debt, to drug use and even suicide. To show the incredible amount of danger this poses, many members of the PRC site have posted statistics for college students in the United States from 1998 to 2011. Sallie Mae, a company founded with the purpose of helping students pay for their costs associated with college life, found that “the average college student had $3,173 in credit card debt last year, the highest level since the survey began in 1998.” (Chu) This number becomes even more higher at larger universities such as Ohio State and the University of Wisconsin. (Chu) These numbers seem surprising considering the amount of debt college students already face after graduation, due to the cost of repaying student loans, housing, etc. Another disturbing trend that parents of those who are victims of credit card debt often encounter is that the average credit card debt often increases as the student ages. For example, "college students with at least one credit card graduated with an average of $4,138 in debt, up 44 percent from 2004. In comparison, the average credit card debt of freshmen rose by 27 % at $2,038." (Chu) This statistic can be considered particularly disturbing as it shows that not only are college students taking on debt, but they are allowing it to increase rather than decrease. These alarming statistics involving credit card debt among college students are a major reason for the push for credit card prevention for students. Another reason tocredit card use among college students has recently been criticized by parent groups such as the PRC is the negative effects it can have on the student's lifestyle. For example, allowing college students to easily get credit cards makes it easier for them to buy things they can't afford. Additionally, they may not be aware of credit card dangers such as interest and monthly payments and therefore purchase items at an alarming rate. Many parents of students with significant debt claim that their students were simply unaware of the dangers posed by credit cards. This obviously leads to other problems such as students being forced to hold down part-time jobs to repay their debts. Because of their new financial obligations, these students may see a negative impact on their schoolwork, all because they have fallen into debt due to credit card use. Another danger in allowing students to easily obtain credit cards is that this would allow them to "ruin" their credit score (via late payments) at a time when they may not be fully mature, therefore affecting their future to long term for something. they did this while in college. This ruination of one's credit score could have wide-ranging effects later in students' lives, should they attempt to purchase a loan for a home or car. These dangers make up much of the reasoning behind the movement to stop college students from getting credit cards. Supporting Research The problems that occur as a result of credit card use among students have been well documented, however, there are also many positive effects that come from allowing college students to obtain credit cards. One of these benefits of allowing students to get credit cards while they are in college is that they give students a chance to practice money management skills while they are still in college. “In much the same way as a summer job, allowing college students to own credit cards gives them a chance to practice spending in a real-world atmosphere. Having a credit card in college gives these students the opportunity to mature as people and learn the value of a dollar.” (Nelson) University employees and area legislators make these statements to demonstrate the importance of credit cards in establishing these very important classes that one may need almost immediately after graduation. Preventing students from being able to obtain these credit cards would take away their ability to develop this important skill. Furthermore, banning students from getting credit cards would instill in college students the idea that they are still supervised and therefore not prepared for life after college. This would be in complete conflict with many of the ideas that universities try to instill in their students, such as responsibility and maturity. Therefore, by banning college students from getting credit cards, you are essentially depriving them of the chance to mature and develop as adults. A study conducted by the University of California found that students who owned a credit card were “over 25% more likely to graduate on time.” College administrators often harp on this point when faced with this issue because they believe that not only would this action prevent them from developing valuable money management skills, but it would also create a conflicting idea of ​​what is expected of them during the college. WhileWhile this is one of the most discussed reasons for allowing students to get credit cards, there are also many other factors that greatly influence the lives of college students. The next reason why college students should not be banned from owning a credit card is that owning one would provide them with the ability to build their credit score. Many of those against allowing college students to get credit cards cite the danger of allowing students to accumulate debt, thus ruining their credit scores. However, preventing students from getting a credit card also prevents them from establishing a good credit score. If students were prevented from getting credit cards while in college, they would have to wait until after graduation to begin building their credit score, greatly hindering their ability to purchase a car, home, or any other item that require a thorough credit check. In this way, preventing students from getting credit cards can actually be extremely detrimental to their efforts to obtain a positive credit score. While the issues mentioned above affect students' lives after earning their degrees, there is also evidence to suggest that preventing college students from getting credit cards could have negative effects on their lives while they are still in college. The final way it would benefit college students to allow them to get credit cards is that it would allow them to purchase necessary items that they would otherwise have had to wait for. This is especially important for college students from low-income families as it would allow them to purchase items such as food and textbooks when needed, without having to wait for scholarship approval or a stipend in the mail. It is for this reason that most college students, as well as some of their parents, are adamantly against banning college students from getting credit cards. Additionally, having a credit card in case of emergency could be very beneficial for a college student without substantial means of income. In the event of an emergency, a student may be better served by having an easily obtainable credit card in case he or she needs immediate financial assistance. This is a point that has caused several parents of students to change their point of view regarding this issue. This advantage of having credit cards is particularly widespread if the student goes to school very far from his parents. This is important because it is often difficult for parents to transfer money to their students in a reasonable time frame. This problem could be easily solved by allowing the student to own a credit card as if an agreement were in place for parents to pay their students' credit card bills, it would therefore provide a means for students to easily obtain financial assistance from their parents . These are some of the main reasons why college students should not be banned from getting credit cards. Personal Bet As with anything else, whether credit cards have a positive or negative effect on college students depends on the individual student. My personal interest in the matter is that I am a college student and that students should in no way be prohibited from obtaining and using credit cards while in college. For a responsible student, credit cards can be a useful tool to help them now and in the future. It is precisely because of these.