STUDENTS at University College Worcester are being advised not to get drawn into running up credit card debt as the new academic year gets underway.
The National Consumer Council (NCC) is advising students to be on their guard against tempting offers of free cameras, book and music vouchers and other gimmicks from credit card lenders.
The warning comes at a time when levels of student debt continue to rise - with the average graduate leaving university owing nearly £11,000 and one in five students giving no thought to their financial situation.
Ed Mayo, chief executive at the NCC, said that credit cards were not the answer for students with little to live on.
"Taking on credit card debt could push today's already indebted students over the edge," he said.
"Many undergraduates are easy prey for credit card companies.
"They are financial novices plunged into a new and exciting independent phase in their lives, with very little to live on.
"The first lesson for students is that credit cards are not the answer."
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