<p>We got my S1 a credit card 4 yrs ago when he first started college before the new regulations. It had a $1,000 limit & was tied to his bank account. It was intended for emergency use but he also used it responsibly for online purchases & paid his balance every month. It came in handy once when he was stranded at an airport & had to purchase a ticket on the spot.</p>
<p>PNC now has something called the [Virtual Wallet Student](<a href=“https://www.pncvirtualwallet.com/main.html?s1=1&s2=6”>https://www.pncvirtualwallet.com/main.html?s1=1&s2=6</a>) that is targeted primarily - but not exclusively - at students. It allows them to learn how to manage their accounts but also sends account alerts to parents so they know when accounts are low or are due. The Virtual Wallet also has a feature where parents can monitor transactions & reimburse accounts. Sounds like an interesting product.</p>
<p>thanks for sharing. Yes my D is a freshman. She had 1 charge and we paid it over 3-4 months via online automatic payment, it helped build her rating and Cap One increased her line from $300-500. I just want her to have more. She didn’t declare much income. I guess some will use other funds they receive. </p>
<p>Any of the cards offer free Credit Scores/Monitoring for college students? This may be a good way for the student to track their credit score, fraud, etc. With going overseas, I really want a higher limit (cost of tickets, etc.).</p>
<p>We had an awful time getting s1 a cc this past summer, he was driving across country and we thought it a good safety net. Despite having a solid work history through the school year and a significant trust fund - I still had to cosign. It was incredibly stupid and frustrating but he turns 21 next month and we will look into transferring it to his own name, and his name only.</p>
<p>Any others try to start building thru store cards, like Macy/Bloomingdale’s.</p>