Credit card companies have made it easier for many of us to get credit.  Ten years ago it was hard for someone without any credit to get a card, but now just about anyone with bad to no credit can get some type of card.  Credit card companies look at income, personal information, and your credit report to determine the amount of risk you will pose.  The nice thing about credit cards for college students is that some of the qualifications or requirements are looked at in a different light.  For example the requirements are not as strict regarding income as they are on other cards.  If you don’t have a high income they will over look that if you get a co- signer.  It is rather like taking out a student loan where you must have someone to guarantee the card.  We will be looking further into the different cards as well as the requirements for credit cards for college students, to help you decide what is best for your lifestyle.

The first credit card for college students on the list is the Capital One card.  This card offers you zero percent interest until June 2008.  You also have a higher interest rate at 19.30%.  The interest rate is high because the student is considered a higher risk than other individuals.  The companies want to make sure they will make a little profit.  There is no annual fee.  There are balance transfers if you would like. 

A better credit card for college students is the Citibank Visa.  This card allows for zero percent interest for the first six months and an annual percentage rate of 13.99%.  There is no annual fee and balance transfers are welcome.  This card allows you to earn 5 points for every dollar you spend at a restaurant, bookstore, record store, movie theatre, and video rental.  You also get 25 points if you pay on time or before the due date.  Twice a year you can earn 250 to 2000 points based on your GPA.  This card requires that you keep your GPA up to redeem most of the bonus points.  You must have good credit, and as a student it should be good, but of course you usually don’t have much.

This is the best for all of the points you can earn.  The other cards tend to offer you a little cash back on purchases or just allow you to get a card.  Since this card offers you points just for your GPA you can earn a lot of rewards very quickly.  You do need to qualify financially so if you don’t have a lot of income you may need a second person to help you get the card.  In some cases you may just have a smaller credit limit.  Some credit cards for college students don’t offer a lot of credit unless you have first established a history.  The good news is for college students you can get a card to help you out with expenses.