For Immediate Release -- May 13, 1998

Cameron, other universities warn incoming freshmen

of misleading campus card offer

As high school graduates across the country are beginning to make preparations for the transition to college this fall, many of them -- including some headed to Oklahoma universities -- are receiving offers to purchase a card they'll need to access services on campus.

Cameron University officials have joined a growing number of higher education institutions who are warning incoming freshmen that no such card is available from an outside vendor.

An organization called the National College Registration Board has reportedly sent letters to the parents of high school seniors, informing them that their children will need an official identification card for the institution they plan to attend. While that information is correct for most colleges and universities -- including Cameron -- the letter goes on to tell incoming freshmen that if then send a photograph and $25, they will receive an ID that entitles them to off-campus discounts and reduced-price textbooks, and can be used to charge merchandise.

The solicitation letter leads students to believe that the card is necessary to attend college. In reality, it is an unsecured credit card which looks like an official student ID. Investigators say there is no banking contract with the firm offering the card, so any money deposited is at risk. A brochure listing participating institutions names basically every four-year institution in the United States.

A portion of the solicitation letter to parents states: "The Campus Card is the student identification card issued to all registered college students. It is required for many services and purchasing privileges at whichever college or university your student chooses to attend. Students should also expect to receive a

second card when they arr ive on campus in the fall for access to school buildings among other functions."

That second card is the one students really need to obtain student services, such as purchasing and reselling textbooks, checking out books from the library and gaining admission to university events. Cameron's student ID card is provided solely by the university. Its cost is covered by student fees.

"Cameron has only one official card," said Neil Springborn, Cameron's public safety director. "That is the one issued through the Office of Public Safety and it is not affiliated with any outside agency."

While Cameron has yet to receive any inquiries about the card from any of its incoming freshmen or their parents, that is not true for other state universities, including the University of Oklahoma. Last week, OU issued a media statement warning incoming students about the credit card offer. Cameron has received email messages from colleges in Kansas, Indiana and North Carolina about the card and Auburn University recently posted a warning message on its Internet website.

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