Given the proliferation of the credit card industry in today’s US households, and the aggressive promotional tactics employed to get college students to sign on as customers, this exploratory study takes a look at the credit card activity of college students at one Midwestern campus. The majority of students surveyed did not report knowledge of their credit card interest rate, although approximately half did report knowing their credit balance and credit limit. Students appear to have a realistic attitude toward the use of credit cards.

Evaluation of gender differences between students and between parents based on the perceived financial, social, psychological, physical, and functional risks associated with college selection. Nineteen criteria associated with these risks were evaluated for significant gender differences as well as for their level of importance by gender in the selection process. Student gender differences were financial aid, security, academics, friendly atmosphere and religious atmosphere. Parent gender differences were financial aid and degrees offered. Within both groups, females possessed a higher mean.

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This paper is a summary of a multi-session group discussion among the listed authors in which they deal with three broad questions: What sorts of decisions need to be made in schools? What kinds of computer assistance would be helpful? What are the barriers to obtaining this assistance? Several general conclusions are reached, touching on the importance of the articulation of agreed-upon objectives, developing confidence in the assistance computers can give, the need for collaboration and group decision support, and the need for rigorous research.