The Communique

Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: KSP News

Media Credit: KSP News

Media Credit: Henry Kaufmann

Pick a card any card. That's the message being delivered to millions of college students all over the United States. Students are bombarded with credit card offers and some may wonder where the companies are getting their information.

The University of Iowa and Iowa State University alumni programs have signed deals to promote Bank of America credit cards to students. The marketing agreements between the universities, their private alumni associations and Bank of America will generate millions of dollars for the alumni groups at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University.

There is even a reward system for using these credit cards. Rewards range from getting to spend time with coaches, to having a meal with student athletes. In return, Bank of America was granted access to the home addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of university students and parents.

More importantly though, students may be wondering if Kirkwood Community College is selling their personal information to any credit card companies.

Director of Marketing Services Kathy Kaiser commented on Kirkwood's confidentiality policy regarding student information. "We absolutely do not give any student information to credit card companies," she said.

Kaiser also stated that Kirkwood has no affiliation with credit card companies and has a strict set of rules concerning how student information is obtained by outside sources. Kirkwood follows the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. FERPA, as it is commonly known, protects the rights of students, both past and present, by preventing the release of personal information to unauthorized persons.

Matt Schilling, a Welding major at Kirkwood, said, "If students wanted credit cards, they would go out and get them. I do not think they want to be bugged."

Communications major Fred Barker commented, "I don't like the way the University of Iowa sold their students' information."

Sen. Tom Courtney, D-District 44, disagrees with the decision of Iowa State University and University of Iowa to partner with a credit card company. "We are trying to make education as affordable as possible for Iowan students. I find it deplorable that universities would be in this business," he said.

The University of Iowa receives $200,000 a year from the alumni association for the athletic program. Courtney said, "I know what it is like to be that age and it is easier to put it on plastic than pay for it with cash. Student loans are hard enough to pay off, credit card debt is even harder."

"When students and parents give their information to colleges, they never think that it will be sold to a credit card company," Courtney added.

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