New credit card sparks debate among students at Missouri
Some say law seems 'arbitrary,' but others say students need the help
By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell
School info
School: University of Missouri (MU) State: Missouri City: Columbia Colors: Enrollment: More than 67,000 on
four campuses Website: http://www.missouri.edu
Founded in 1839, the University of Missouri at Columbia was the first public university founded west of the Mississippi. Among its 270 degree programs is its honored journalism program, the world's first, established in 1908.
At MU, there's a policy that effectively bans credit card companies from setting up tables around campus, according to Joe Hayes, Missouri Student Unions assistant director. He has worked for the university since 2005, and in that time, no credit card companies have recruited on campus. Hayes says that is because the university has made it difficult for the companies.
"We charge. For noncampus users, we charge $150 per table," he says. "And that money goes back to student programming."
The university's policy toward credit card vendors states "No promotional 'gifts,' i.e. 'free' items, offered as incentives for filling out an application will be permitted."
Hayes says all those requirements are in place to protect MU's students.
"We see it as kind of our responsibility as educators to let them know what they're getting themselves into," says Hayes. "That's the whole point of an educational institution. The education doesn't end in the classrooms."
Here's what some students at the University of Missouri have to say about the new credit card law and managing credit cards:
"I'm not in favor of [legislation] like this. Especially the arbitrary age of 21 is nothing that really shows in my opinion a level of responsibility. We should have the choice of whether we have a credit card or not. People who get into debt -- that's their fault. Legislation should have no say over that." -- Derrick Davis, 19
The Francis Quadrangle where six columns remain from MU's first academic building that burned in the late 1800s. In the background is Jesse Hall, an administrative building. Photo: Josh Barone
"If someone gets a card at 18 as opposed to 21, what's the difference? What have they learned in those three years? I don't think the age is going to make them that much more responsible." -- Travis Cornejo, 19
"People clearly don't know how to spend within their means. I can see it getting out of control very quickly. I wouldn't want to spend my life playing catch-up." -- Theresa Berens, 19
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Rate survey: Credit card interest rates hold steady – The average interest rate on a new credit card offer stayed static this week, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report. However, that doesn't mean that all of the nation's largest credit card issuers were sitting on their hands ...
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