Confessions of a credit card pusher

Such moves have consumer advocates up in arms. They argue that the growing problems that college students are having with credit cards need to be addressed more aggressively. If banks such as Citibank are still marketing to youngsters despite the existing restrictions, then schools and politicians need to take tougher steps.

"Students are constantly under attack," says Linda Sherry, the director of national priorities for Consumer Action, a San Francisco consumer-education and advocacy group. "Despite colleges' best intentions, the companies just set up shop across the street."

Easy money

Back in 2002, when Rhoades entered Pitt's student center during his freshman year, the first thing he noticed was the abundance of giveaways handed out with the credit cards. Among other things, there were about 20 boxes of T-shirts with "college" emblazoned in capital letters on the front and a Citibank logo printed quietly under the collar.

"You know I recently saw someone wearing that shirt when I was in Vermont, and I thought, man, maybe that's another person who got a credit card because they wanted a free T-shirt," says Rhoades. "It made me mad."

• Talk back: What's your view of credit-card companies' tactics?

Roughly 25 students were milling around the student center, discussing what their mysterious sales task would be, when the man who identified himself as a Citibank rep entered. "He told us that this was easy money to make and that all we had to do was get students to fill out applications for Citibank credit cards," recalls Rhoades.

After arming the students with a bundle of T-shirts and credit card applications, the Citibank representative, according to Rhoades, told the group how to assuage any concerns a student might have.

"He told us phrases to tell students if they were skeptical about filling out an application," says Rhoades. "He told us to say things like, 'Even if you apply, you can always cut up the card,' and 'It's easy to pay off your balance once you graduate and get a great job.'"

T-shirt temptation

Credit counselors argue these lures -- the promise of a job and the prospect of just using the card during emergencies -- while highly enticing for students, often don't pan out the way that marketers promise.

"If the credit card is in their wallet, many students will eventually use it," says Darryl Dahlheimer, program manager at LSS Financial Counseling Service on the University of Minnesota campus.

"I bet none of the students I gave cards to ever cut up the cards," Rhoades says. "That's what you tell yourself, but it's too tempting."

Campus Dimensions' Solomon believes students are much more informed and savvy than critics suggest. With every credit card application, Solomon tries to educate students about the various elements of the card, explaining interest rates, balance transfers and responsible credit usage. "We try to give students good information from a marketing standpoint, as well as realistic information," he says.

Continued: What the pusher learned

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