Most college students are used to the sound of a telemarketer at the other end of their phone trying to sell them a low-interest credit card.

Although on occasion the companies may tell students they are from Saint Louis University, there is only one SLU-approved credit card. That privilege has been given to the Affinity Card offered by MBNA America.

“No other companies can be soliciting on campus,” said Kelli Hauser, public relations specialist in the Department of Public Relations.

Most students are not accosted on campus in person when it comes to credit cards. The companies focus on phone solicitations and mailings, the majority of which end up being directed to the student’s permanent address and phone number. Still, the number of solicitations is overwhelming.

“I get them every day. Visa, Mastercard and Discover,” said senior Eddie Chatskin.

One of the advantages of living on campus, when it comes to solicitors, is that it is harder to find you.

“They don’t call me at school,” Chatskin said. “They call me at home.”

That is not to say that students do not receive solicitations on campus.

“They call all the time,” said sophomore Megan Wren. “They call me on campus. They usually don’t call my house.”

It is hard to determine where the companies obtain their information. Although SLU sanctions the marketing of one credit card, it does not sell or provide information about students to outside companies. Numerous university officials stressed this point.

“The University does not give out any information,” said Financial Vice President Rob Altholtz. “[We] can only speculate as to how the companies are getting the students’ information.”

Although the credit card offered by MBNA America is marketed to students and alumni and is sanctioned by the University, MBNA works to educate consumers in how to use, understand and maintain good credit. In addition, a small percentage of the sales on these cards goes back to the University.

“This is very typical,” said James Forst, associate vice president of University Development.

“Like some credit cards where you receive free gas or airline miles, this is a way for alumni to contribute to the university,” said Meg Connoly from University Development.

Despite the fact that only one company is sanctioned by SLU to offer credit cards, this does not mean that some companies are averse to presenting themselves as sanctioned by the University.

Wren talked to a solicitor offering a credit card from a company claiming to be affiliated with SLU.

“They said they were calling from SLU, that they worked at SLU, and were offering a Discover credit card,” Wren said.

One source of student information is available to anyone-the Saint Louis University Faculty/Staff and Student Directory.

“All they have to do is pick one up,” Altholtz said.

Last semester Student Government Association senator Michael Fullenkamp tried to determine if the credit card companies were getting information from SLU.

“I was concerned about the fact that SLU might be giving out the information,” said Fullenkamp.

Fullenkamp said that as far as he was able to determine, SLU does not disseminate information pertaining to students, which is the stated policy of the University.

“We are not sure how they are getting the information,” Fullenkamp said. “It might have gotten out by means of the directory because those are public.”

When credit card companies call, students can ask them never to do so again.

If a student requests no additional phone calls, telephone solicitors must place him or her on a no-call list. However, the response is not always immediate.

“My roommate last semester told them not to call back,” said Wren. “But they said it would be a while for them to stop.”

Since SLU is not the source of student information that businesses use, the University is unable to do anything to prevent such actions.

Hauser mentioned that the University can remove solicitors who are physically on campus, but they are unable to prevent telephone solicitations.