<p>Has anyone ever heard of paying tuition with an air-miles type credit card and then using the miles earned to fly to USC? Is this possible? My parents were thinking about doing something like this, but I don't know how, or if it even would work. I live on the East coast, so traveling and its cost is an issue for me. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Yeah, you can do that. That's almost what my parents do, except their card is just a cashback card, not an airline one.</p>
<p>Yeah, USC is fine with taking credit cards to pay USC expenses--tuition, room & board, etc. I'm planning on a cashback card where we get like 1% return for our charges--hey it's something. Other folks are happy to get miles for their charges.</p>
<p>This works in theory, but only if you have the money upfront to pay off the credit debt. Otherwise it will cost you more, in interest, than it would to actually just buy the ticket or get the "cash" back.</p>
<p>True, using a credit card as a "loan" if you're not paying it off in full every month is a VERY EXPENSIVE way to finance anything. You're much better off getting a conventional loan if you don't have the money to pay off the credit card--either an educational loan, home equity, or whatever you can work out with FAid or elsewhere.</p>
<p>My parents definitely pay off their credit cards each month. Actually, they got it set up so that my USC bill is charged monthly to their card. They get charged about $4000-5000 a month.</p>
<p>I use my Marriott VISA card to pay my son's tuition. I get the points, pay it off with saved funds at the end of the billing period, and my wife and I are well on our way to free vacations.</p>
<p>Yeah, we we would be paying off the amoutn right away so as not to incurr interest. The idea was to hopefully pay for my flights to and from California. Thanks for the responses.</p>
<p>tsdad, how many miles do you get per mile spent, or points, or however it works? I don't know much about it.</p>
<p>One dollar = one Marriott point except if you are using the card at a Marriott (with some exceptions) and then it is times ten. Depending on the type of Visa card some other charges are time five. </p>
<p>The best deal is the combined hotel and air packages. For 250,000 points you get seven nights at a level six Marriott hotel and up to 120,000 frequent flyer miles. For 270,000 points you get the same deal at a level seven Marriott.</p>
<p>We have been to London twice for seven nights each time; five nights to the Marriott on les Champs-Elysees; and, five nights at the Marriott in Amsterdam, all for free including airfare. Now to be honest a good many of these points came from buying Marriott timeshares, but that a different story.</p>
<p>If you are not interested in Marriott, Starwood (Westin) and Hilton probably have the same kind of deals as do the airlines.</p>
<p>Most of the airline cards I've seen give you one mile for each dollar spent. It takes 25,000 miles for a domestic round trip flight (except during certain periods, then it is higher.)</p>
<p>Discover gives you 1% cash back.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot tsdad and momofchris.</p>
<p>Confirmed with USC at the 5/20 Hawaii Orientation that there is NO CHARGE regardless of what type of credit card is used--mileage, cash rebate, or any other type of acceptable credit card.</p>
<p>American Express has a card that gives you 1.5% cash back after the 1st $6500 charged/year, up to a maximum of $50,000 charged.</p>