"Across the nation, a growing number of universities are making it harder -- and costlier -- for students to use credit cards," USA Today reports. "The movement comes as colleges face budget shortfalls and look to trim costs wherever they can. When students use a credit card, institutions have to pay an average of 2% to process the transaction, according to Nilson Report, a payment systems newsletter. Traditionally, colleges have borne these costs themselves. But they're increasingly rethinking these policies -- and passing costs along to students -- amid the difficult economy."