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Home / Blog / Miscellaneous / The Best Student Credit Cards Fall 2012

The Best Student Credit Cards Fall 2012

October 19th, 2012 by Jason Bushey

(Update: Some of the credit card offers below are no longer available. For a complete list of student credit card offers available today, visit our picks for the top credit cards for students on Creditnet.com.)

Like a freshman that got lost in the courtyard on the way to class, our list of the best student credit cards fall 2012 is fashionably late to the discussion. However, as mid-terms sneak up on college students in the upcoming weeks, it’s not just sleep that students are short of - odds are, they’re getting low on funds, too. October is the perfect time to review the best student credit cards because in many cases, promotional rates are still available. Plus, if you didn’t have time to properly review student credit cards for your son or daughter at the start of the semester, take a minute now that the dust has settled to review our list of the 5 best student credit cards fall 2012. (Because, let’s face it, those meal points are looking pretty thin at this point of the semester.)

And if you hadn’t heard, choosing a Student Credit Card is more of a family decision than ever since the Credit Card ACT of 2009 requires a parental co-signer or proof of sufficient income for students under 21 years old. With that, here are the best credit cards for students based on our expertise and reader feedback.
Journey Student Rewards ( SM ) from Capital One®
Why We Love It:
  • 1% cash back (What college kid couldn’t use cash back rewards?), plus a 25% bonus each month you pay your bill on time. (Don’t let them forget this.) Oh, and NO cash back limits.
  • Track your credit score each month.
  • Free text and email alerts that remind your student to pay their bill.
  • No intro. APR and no annual fees.
The Final Word:  This is a great card for students ready to build credit - responsibly. Just make sure they’re paying their monthly bill online each month to avoid any interest build-up, the first step towards building and maintaining debt-free credit.
Why We Love It:
  • Easy reward redemption means you’ll receive a check for $50 after you’ve earned 50 dividend dollars.
  • Receive 5% cash back on gas, groceries and utilities for the first 6 months. (1% thereafter.)
  • No cosigner required, and fair credit is OK when applying.
  • Citi® offers free credit tips and tools, making this a great go-to card for credit first-timers.
The Final Word: This is one of the best student credit cards because of all the cash back opportunities; check out the Citi Bonus Cash Center® for a complete listing of businesses that offer an additional 5% cash back with your Citi® card, plus the Citi® Dividend Platinum Select Card has NO purchase requirements to receive cash back. Thus, college students can earn cash back on just about all purchases, from pizza slices to textbooks.
Discover® Student More Card - $20 Cashback Bonus (NOTE: This offer is no longer available.)
Why We Love It:
  • There’s no annual fee on this student credit card, plus bad (or no) credit is OK when applying.
  • Receive $20 after your first purchase (within 3 months of approval).
  • No interest for 6 months.
  • Up to 20% in cash back opportunities!
The Final Word: This student credit card is great for college kids because of the excellent cash back opportunities (up to 20% through ShopDiscover®) and lack of credit required for approval. Plus, rewards don’t expire and, while you have to enroll for 5% cash back each quarter, there’s a lot of potential if you remember to set a date on your calendar and join back in. Again, make sure to reiterate to your college son or daughter that they’ll want to pay this student credit card off each month, as APR varies from 12.99% to 24.99%.
 
Discover® Open Road ( SM ) Card for Students (NOTE: This offer is no longer available.)
Why We Love It:
  • 2% cash back on up to $250 at gas stations and restaurants every month.
  • Shop online via ShopDiscover® for 20% cash back opportunities.
  • $0 in annual fees and 0% interest for nine months.
  • Tons of ways to redeem your rewards.
The Final Word: Normally we wouldn’t be excited for a credit card capping your cash back opportunities at just $250. But really, what college student should (or is) be paying more than $62.50 a week on gas AND eating out? Overall, this is a great card for your average college student so long as they pay off their balance monthly. (Which is really the case with all of the best student credit cards Fall 2012.)
Blog Tags: 
2012 credit cards

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Jason Bushey's picture

Jason Bushey is the former Editor and Vice President of Creditnet. Jason is a Burlington, Vermont native who moved to sunny San Diego after earning a Bachelor's Degree in English and Political Science at the University of Vermont ('09). When he's not sharing his take on credit cards, administrating the Creditnet Forum or blogging about all things related to credit, you can probably find him cheering on the Green Bay Packers (He's an owner!) or running up and down the streets of SoCal.

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