Go to any college or university in the United States and you will find most students carrying the same items: books, laptops, cell phones and their official school identification cards, or IDs. These small plastic cards do more than show the names and pictures of the students who own them. They also permit students to open the electronic locks to campus buildings and borrow books from school libraries. In recent years, some colleges and universities have added an additional use for ID cards: buying things. The schools enter into agreements with banks so students can link their cards to private financial accounts. This way, students can use their cards to pay for things like food on campus and school supplies. In other words, their IDs become debit cards. However, new research suggests that the way these card programs operate can harm students. Kaitlyn Vitez is the higher education campaign director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG. Her organization aims to use research to support and protect people’s financial interests. She told VOA that PIRG has been looking into agreements between schools and banks for several years. This April, the group released its latest findings. PIRG found that, overall, students with campus debit cards paid over $24 million in fees during the last contract year.
Title: US College Bank Cards Present High Fees for Students
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/a3c289a0-b7d6-4d03-8a8a-d1aff2d96142_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US College Bank Cards Present High Fees for Students' data-article-id='3850'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='19417'>Go to any college or university in the United States and you will find most students carrying the same items: books, laptops, cell phones and their official school identification cards, or IDs.</span> <span data-start-time='19417' data-end-time='28167'>These small plastic cards do more than show the names and pictures of the students who own them.</span> <span data-start-time='28167' data-end-time='38896'>They also permit students to open the electronic locks to campus buildings and borrow books from school libraries.</span> <span data-start-time='38896' data-end-time='49938'>In recent years, some colleges and universities have added an additional use for ID cards: buying things.</span> <span data-start-time='49938' data-end-time='59396'>The schools enter into agreements with banks so students can link their cards to private financial accounts.</span> <span data-start-time='59396' data-end-time='68250'>This way, students can use their cards to pay for things like food on campus and school supplies.</span> <span data-start-time='68250' data-end-time='74375'>In other words, their IDs become debit cards.</span> <span data-start-time='74375' data-end-time='81479'>However, new research suggests that the way these card programs operate can harm students.</span> <span data-start-time='81479' data-end-time='93396'>Kaitlyn Vitez is the higher education campaign director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG.</span> <span data-start-time='93396' data-end-time='103042'>Her organization aims to use research to support and protect people’s financial interests.</span> <span data-start-time='103042' data-end-time='113417'>She told VOA that PIRG has been looking into agreements between schools and banks for several years.</span> <span data-start-time='113417' data-end-time='118208'>This April, the group released its latest findings.</span> <span data-start-time='118208' data-end-time='131792'>PIRG found that, overall, students with campus debit cards paid over $24 million in fees during the last contract year.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/EB36858F-C4E1-48EB-BC5F-6AC8F101C8F3_cx0_cy55_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=12892 data-hint-location='49938' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/what_is_an_account.wav'>What is an account?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='an arrangement in which a bank keeps a record of the money that a person puts in and takes out of the bank'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/an_arrangement_in_which_a_bank_keeps_a_record_of_the_money_that_a_person_puts_in_and_takes_out_of_the_bank.wav'><span>an arrangement in which a bank keeps a record of the money that a person puts in and takes out of the bank</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/an_established_path_through_the_wilderness.wav'><span>an established path through the wilderness</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/an_iphone_app.wav'><span>an iPhone app</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/an_active_volcano.wav'><span>an active volcano</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=12893 data-hint-location='74375' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/however_new_research_suggests_that_the_way_these_card_programs_operate_can_harm_who.wav'>However, new research suggests that the way these card programs operate can harm who?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='students'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/professors.wav'><span>professors</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/parents.wav'><span>parents</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/pets.wav'><span>pets</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/students.wav'><span>students</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=12894 data-hint-location='118208' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/pirg_found_that_overall_students_with_campus_debit_cards_paid_over_24_million_in__blank__during_the_last_contract_year.wav'>PIRG found that, overall, students with campus debit cards paid over $24 million in <span class='blank'>fees</span> during the last contract year.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='fees'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/library_fines.wav'><span>library fines</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/insurance_payments.wav'><span>insurance payments</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/fees.wav'><span>fees</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3337/tuition.wav'><span>tuition</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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