 TITLE: How to Avoid Student Loans CONTENT: Use Other Ways to Build Credit During College\n---------------------------------------------\nCollege is an excellent time to start building your credit history because once you graduate, you may want to borrow money to buy a car or a home. If you have a thin or nonexistent credit file, though, you'll have a difficult time getting approved on your own.\nStudent loans don't typically report to the credit bureaus while you're in school because you're not making payments. So consider using a student credit card or a credit-builder loan as a way to establish your credit history. With both options, make your payments on time and in full to avoid late fees—and, in the case of the credit card, interest charges. It's also important with a credit card to keep your balance low relative to its credit limit.\nYou can also sign up for a credit monitoring service, so you can keep track of your progress once you've developed a credit score. The process of building credit can take time, but the sooner you start, the better off you'll be in the long run. END