The Freshman 15. Maybe you've heard of it, maybe you're even experiencing it. No, I'm not talking about the extra pounds most freshman add on within their first semester of college. The battle of the bulge I'm referring to is in your wallet. According to Nellie Mae, a leading student loan lender, 83 percent of college students own at least one credit card. And the numbers show that as each semester passes the likelihood of getting a credit card increases, and so does the debt.

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