Data Shows Students Charge Average of $2,200 in Direct Education Expenses

RESTON, Va., April 13, 2009 - Despite the credit freeze, college students last year used credit cards more than ever before, including charging tuition and other direct education expenses, according to a new study from Sallie Mae, the nation's leading saving- and paying-for-college company. The report, "How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards: Sallie Mae's National Study of Usage Rates and Trends, 2009," is the fifth in a series conducted since 1998 through the company's affiliate Nellie Mae which analyzes the credit card use of student loan applicants.

Nearly one-third (30 percent) put tuition on their credit card, an increase from 24 percent in 2004, when the study was last conducted. In total, 92 percent of undergraduate credit cardholders charged textbooks, school supplies, or other direct education expenses, up from 85 percent in the previous study. Students who used credit cards to pay for direct education expenses estimated charging $2,200, more than double 2004's average of $942.

"Too many students are at risk of overpaying for college by pulling out credit cards to pay for textbooks or even part of their tuition bill, instead of using less expensive financial aid to cover these items," said Marie O'Malley, director of consumer research for Sallie Mae and author of the study. "Students and families need to build a comprehensive budget ahead of time to cover not only tuition, but also other necessities like supplies and travel costs that contribute to the overall cost of college."

Eighty-four percent of undergraduates had at least one credit card, up from 76 percent in 2004. On average, students have 4.6 credit cards, and half of college students had four or more cards. The average (mean) balance grew to $3,173, higher than any of the previous studies. Median debt grew from 2004's $946 to $1,645.

The higher the grade level, the more heavily students used their credit cards, with seniors graduating with an average credit card debt of more than $4,100, up from about $2,900 in 2004. The study found that freshmen carried a median debt of $939, nearly triple the $373 in 2004. Only 15 percent of freshmen had a zero credit card balance, a dramatic drop from 69 percent in the 2004 study.

Many college students seem to use credit cards to live beyond their means-not just for convenience-and more than three-quarters incurred finance charges by carrying a monthly balance.

The study found that:

• Sixty percent experienced surprise at how high their balance had reached, and 40 percent said they have charged items knowing they did not have the money to pay the bill.
• Only 17 percent said they regularly paid off all cards each month, and another 1 percent had parents, a spouse, or other family members paying the bill. The remaining 82 percent carried balances and thus incurred finance charges each month.

Two-thirds of survey respondents said they had frequently or sometimes discussed credit card use with their parents. The remaining one-third who had never or only rarely discussed credit cards with parents were more likely to pay for tuition with a credit card and were more likely to be surprised at their credit card balance when they received the invoice.

Eighty-four percent of undergraduates indicated they needed more education on financial management topics. In fact, 64 percent would have liked to receive information in high school and 40 percent as college freshmen.

Sallie Mae published the report to underscore the importance of educating college students about using credit effectively, weighing their spending decisions and considering their source of borrowing. To conduct the study, researchers analyzed aggregate credit bureau reports for a randomly selected group of 1,200 student loan applicants. In addition, surveys were sent to 5,800 undergraduates, of which roughly 5 percent responded. The full study is available online at www.SallieMae.com/creditcardstudy.

SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. Through its subsidiaries, the company manages $180 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages more than $17.5 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with 10 million members and more than $475 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

Posted 04/14/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Posting of press releases is done as a service to Members and does not imply endorsement or support by NASFAA. NASFAA does not review this information for content or accuracy.