<p>Just curious what most students do as far as banking goes. I know that alot of kids have accounts at the Credit Union but I am wondering how to manage that should my daughter need some money. There are no credit union branches affiliated with ND's credit union near us at home, the closest branch is 20 miles away. So if my daughter had an account at a place like Wells Fargo, where would she cash a check on campus? She won't have a car so going off campus is not an option. I know alot of kids open accounts at the credit union but I am wondering what her best option is. I have a son in college but for him he has a Wells Fargo account here and utilizes his on campus Wells Fargo. No fuss no muss. Ideas?</p>
<p>I lasted 4 years on campus with a Wells Fargo account with no problems. Apparently there is now a $1 fee for students to use the on-campus ATM if they don’t have an NDFCU account, but that’s probably not that big of a deal. Also, the bank in LaFun did allow me to cash checks on a couple occasions even though I didn’t have an account with them. This was a like 3 years ago and I think there are restrictions on this, but since I was an ND student and the checks were from a family member (my aunt), they had no problems with it.</p>
<p>Also, I believe there is a Wells Fargo branch not too far from the University Park Mall, which is accessible via the bus (which is free for ND students).</p>
<p>From what I understand, students can use their ATM card from another bank at the Credit Union ATMs on campus. Check with your bank to see what the charge is for using an ATM with another bank. We will likely open a ND Credit union account for my S.</p>
<p>My son is going to be a senior at ND and we have never used the credit union. He banks with Chase, which has ATM machines in their banks and at Walgreens. Generally, he doesn’t use much cash - usually he uses his debit card to purchase items, or his credit card, or Domer Dollars. So, you could give your child some cash at the beginning of term, and let them use other means to purchase items on campus. I liked having access to his account so I could put money into it if necessary. However, you can often get free checking with a credit union, so as he gets toward graduation, we are considering having him open an account at the credit union so he doesn’t have an added expense after graduation.
On a different note, bring a check to orientation, because they have to pay for football tickets with a check or cash. My son doesn’t have any checks with his account, so it was a good thing I had one with me.</p>
<p>Some dorms have dues too (for things like t-shirts, etc throughout the year). They usually aren’t very much, but it’s easier if you have a check around to pay for those also.</p>
<p>Also, I didn’t use much cash while I was at ND either, at least for the first couple years. You can buy pretty much anything on campus with Flexpoints/DomerDollars. After I turned 21, I did start to use more cash to pay for cabs/bar cover/etc, but that shouldn’t be an issue for your son as a freshman.</p>
<p>It helps to have cash if you ride the Coach bus to/from the airport. You can buy your ticket ahead of time, or just use cash when you get on the bus. I have a checking account with Chase, but use my debit card on campus. I am charged $1 each time. If you have a campus job, the university likes to use direct deposit for your paycheck. I wrote about 10 checks my freshman year for football tickets, dorm tax, etc., so it helps to have a few rather than a wad of cash. Cash is good for buying things people sell door to door like t-shirts, or paying for pizza delivery. Flex points and Domer Dollars cover most other stuff on campus.</p>