School has started for many college students and as they walk around campus they might notice something missing: credit card solicitors.

Four-thousand dollars is how much Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said students owe in credit card debt once they graduate.

In an investigation, the attorney general said students are being bombarded by credit card companies inside and outside of campus buildings, online, by mail, and by phone. He is calling on New York State schools to reform their approach towards student credit cards.

"I’ve gotten credit cards for stores before so I’ve learned my lessons with those so I always try to be conscious of where I’m spending my money,” Madeline Bensley, a Brockport junior said.

Bensley said she has never been approached by a credit card company on campus before.

"I’m not sure if I would even stop and talk to them during my school day. I don't even know if it was really worth them being here in the first place. I'm not sure how much business they would have gotten from it,” Bensley said.

She has never been approached because the College at Brockport hasn't had a credit card company solicit on campus for three years.

"Anybody that does want to needs to seek the college's approval. They can only set up in the college's student union. They are not allowed to offer free gifts to solicit students and the credit card companies are not allowed to leave the campus with a signed application. Students need to think about it and mail it back if they want to,” David Mihalyov, Brockport’s Public and Government Relations director said.

Freshman David Agudo only had a debit card. He was in the service and had a military credit card that could only be used on military posts.

"I was really young when I started using everything with my credit and I just spent my money irresponsibly and when you do that it ruins your credit score pretty easily and then your credit goes down and you’re stuck being 23 years old with bad credit maybe,” Agudo said.

Part of the AG’s reform includes offering first year students financial literacy programs. This year, Brockport was one of three colleges nationwide to receive the Financial Literacy Leadership Award.

"It’s an award given to colleges that provide a lot of financial education to students. How to handle owning credit cards, how to handle debt, debt load,” Mihalyov said.

Also on the suggested reform list is prohibiting credit card issuers from providing gifts or food in exchange for applications and refraining schools from giving out students personal contact information to credit card companies without the student’s prior permission.

On Tuesday, SUNY chancellor Nancy Zimpher said that all 64 SUNY campuses will follow the credit card guidelines set forth by the attorney general.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
College at Brockport