While the new credit card law doesn’t take effect until February, many card issuers are already gearing up to comply with the new regulations. That means there will be fewer freebies to convince students to sign up for a new credit card. More importantly, those students under 21 will find they’re no longer eligible for a card.
The only way underage students will be able to obtain a credit card is if they can prove they have the capability of repaying the debit or if a parent or other person over 21 co-signs for them. Kiplinger reports that the average credit card debt for college students is $3,173.
In addition, Illinois has joined other states that have adopted laws restricting on-campus credit card marketing. This law, which takes effect Jan. 1, prevents companies from offering freebies to students in exchange for signing up for a credit card. If colleges decide to allow companies to market on campus, the schools will be required to offer some form of consumer finance education to freshmen. It also bars private and public colleges in Illinois from selling student names and contact information to credit card companies.
Read more from Kiplinger here or about the Illinois law here. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/cr80news-4.gif)
