Question
Hello,
I am a student in college but still do travel frequently. Last year I earned over 36,000 miles flying around the country and to/from Spain. I am looking to continue to earn miles as I fly and pay bills (i.e. tuition). For reference, I fly NWA the most but also fly AA often.
Most credit cards require me to have an income of approx. $15,000. As I student, I make no where compared to $15,000. But I do have a part time job, no student loans, and fairly decent amounts of money in the bank. Do money from scholarships or what my parents give me yearly count towards this $15,000? Do these things qualify me for a card or do some cards waive this $15,000 a year requirement?
Thanks for your help!
-Neal
Answer
Check out pgray's web site http://www.freefrequentflyermiles.com/index.htm and look for Student programs in the left colum.
Answer
Absolutely. I got my first credit card (Amex Delta) reporting an "extrapolated" yearly income if I extended my summer job year round. I'm not suggesting fraud, but students are credit card companies bestest friends.
Answer
Do you have any prior credit history?
If not, you won't be approved for most airline cards. Try a "student" card from any one of the big banks, which will typically be issued with a $500 limit. Pay on time for a year or so (possibly less) and then you should qualify for an airline credit card. Watch your credit limits rise and rise and rise despite having no income. :)
I'd advise stating at least $20,000 as your annual income; again, not suggesting fraud, but if you count parental contributions and part-time jobs you should come close.
Answer
There is a student United Visa Mileage Plus card. It is fee-free and you must be a full-time college student to apply. The website is:
http://www.united.com/page/middlepage/0,6823,1271,00.html
You get 1 mile for every 2 dollars spent, but with no annual-fee. This should get you started on some credit history, and you should be able to apply for a regular card account within 6-12 months. As far as I know, there is no NWA or AA card for students. Of course, it never hurts to apply and see if you're approved. You can always see if the bank will accept a co-signer. Hope this helps!
Answer
If you have good credit history you should be able to get one. They go off of HOUSEHOLD income so if your permanent address is with your parents use that income. Or if you have roomates and dog and a parrot use everyones income. Never too early to start earning points or miles.
Answer
If you have a credit card in hand it will help but even if you dont make sure you sign up for one to start building credit. When I was a college student I found it relatively easy to get non student cards as a student just inflating my income on a yearly basis and factoring in other things such as gifts and money from parents. If you are willing to pay the Fee for the NWA card and state you have a yearly income of at least $20,000 I am sure you will get it. $20,000 might seem like a lot but figure on making $1500 per month year round and some extra money form gifts and this appears resonable enough. Of course that $1500 per month will probably be from May to Sept and a lot lower the rest of the year when you are in school but they dont need to know that and I was nver questioned. Especially with summer just beginning. Good Luck with everything.
-UFFA
Answer
Yes. Count money from your parents and scholarships as income. Credit card applications often ask how much you pay for monthly rent (in your case, dorm or off-campus housing charges), so if scholarships and parent contributions go to pay that reported expense, it's only reasonable that these sources of income should themselves be reportable.
I got a United Visa signature card during my sophomore year of college. A key step I took was getting 2 or 3 student credit cards from different banks during my freshman year, using them all, and making all payments on time.
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I believe as long as you have a fairly decent credit score, it will do all the talking. You should include everything you can as income, grants, parents, summer jobs, or just make up a number. Don't know about anyone else, but the only credit card agency that has ever checked employment was a local (small) bank. Just go for it, but make sure you always pay in full to avoid interest or on time to maintain good credit
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Does ASU really let you pay tuition with a credit card? That must cost the school ~3%, or around $300 per $10,000 charge.
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When I started at my College in 1998 they took VISA & MC. By Graduation in 2002 they also took Discover which got my parents a nice 1% Cash Back per semester. I am sure ASUNeal could get the FF miles. Not to mention for High Volume Transaction locations (I am sure ASU qualifies) the rate per transaction is most likely less than 1%. Think about all the different CC terminals, bookstore, cafeteria, etc. :cool:
-UFFA
Answer
Thank you everyone for all of the info!
Yes I can pay tuition for ASU with credit card (either Visa, MC, or Discover). Also, there is no fee from the university to use a credit card, so another reason why using a credit card is a great idea. I don't think this is very common seeing universities such as the University of Illinois charge around a 3% fee.
-Neal