 TITLE: Should College Students Get Credit Cards? CONTENT: How to Get a Credit Card as a Student\n-------------------------------------\nIf you're sure you're ready to handle a credit card, where do you start? As a student with little or no credit history, here are the best ways to get your first credit card:\n*   **Get a secured credit card**: Secured credit cards can be useful tools to help college students build a credit history. They function like any other credit card, with one important difference: You have to make a security deposit when you apply. This amount typically ranges from $200 to $2,000 and typically serves as your credit limit. By making regular monthly payments, you build a credit history, and as your credit score improves, you may qualify for a regular credit card from the same issuer. When you apply for a secured card, ask the issuer if they report to the credit bureaus—not all do.\n*   **Get a student credit card**: If you have your own income, even from a part-time job, you may qualify for a student credit card. Designed for college students, these cards usually have lower credit limits than traditional credit cards, and often have less stringent income requirements too. In addition to demonstrating income, you'll need to be 18 or over, prove that you're enrolled in college and pass a credit check to get a student credit card.\n*   **Become an authorized user on someone else's card**: A parent or other family member can add you as an authorized user on one of their credit cards. (Check with the credit card issuer first to make sure that payment history will be reported on your credit report as well as the primary cardholder's; otherwise, it won't help build your credit history.) You'll get your own card, be able to make purchases and benefit from the primary cardholder's good credit habits. The primary cardholder is ultimately responsible for the payments. To stay in their good graces, agree on a limit to how much you can charge and how you'll pay your share of the bill each month.\nBefore applying for any credit card, get a free credit report so you can make sure there are no mistakes or problems. With your first credit card in hand, you'll be on the road to a bright financial future. END