Credit Cards and College Students

College students have long been attractive prospects to credit card issuers. While they typically lack any credit history, they are expected to increase their income over time, and are likely to keep using whatever card they acquired in college. Credit card companies hope to establish long-term relationships that will last through graduation and upward mobility. To reach these prospects, some card issuers enter into "affinity" marketing agreements with universities. Increasingly, however, these agreements are coming under scrutiny.