Many students are finding themselves buried in credit card debt.

“I know people that are already $2,000 in debt,” said sophomore nursing major Nikki Glogovsky.

A March 2008 study done by the U.S. Public Interest Group (PIRG) found the majority of college students with a credit card carry a balance varied on what year they were in school.

“Seniors are more in debt than freshman,” said Don Henderson, attorney at law and director of Students’ Legal Assistance.

The PIRG survey found seniors had credit card balances of $2,623, compared to freshman who had a card balance of $1,301.

A majority of students continue adding to their card balance throughout school and end up owing thousands of dollars once they graduate.

“Statistics indicate students on average owe $2,000 in credit card debt by the time they graduate or leave school, with 20 percent of students owing more than $10,000 in credit card debt when they graduate,” Henderson said.

Some students find they use their credit cards more so in college, which may contribute to a larger number of young people in debt.

“I use mine a lot more now that I’m in college,” said Adam Bass, sophomore elementary education major.

One common use is for education. Many students use their credit cards when purchasing books or paying for tuition.

“A growing number of students are using credit cards for expenses directly related to education,” Henderson said.

The PIRG survey found 55 percent of students use their credit cards for books and 24 percent use their credit cards for tuition.

Other common uses the survey reported were day-to-day expenses, weekends, traveling to school and emergencies.

In order to avoid debt, Henderson suggests following the advice of Benjamin Franklin: “Whatever you earn, spend less.”

The office of Students’ Legal Assistance offers counseling and budget planning for students who want to avoid getting themselves in debt.

“Using a budget can help you visualize and keep track of the ongoing equation, how much income do you have and how many expenses you have,” he said.

Students can also use the office’s services if they are already in debt and need legal assistance.

Henderson said they see hundreds of students come in with debt-related problems.

Debt can affect students down the road in almost all aspects of their lives, including finding a job.

“Employers increasingly are looking at someone’s credit history as a factor in deciding who to hire,” Henderson said, adding that significant credit card debt can prevent someone from being approved for a car loan and/or a mortgage as well as result in someone having to pay a higher rate of interest on their loans, particularly credit cards.

This is the first in a series on college students and debt.