Students at the University of Southern California will soon be receiving aid about how to manage their credit.

The program, sponsored by credit card giant Visa, is intended to promote responsible spending habits, and it all begins with freshman students.

This program will soon take the form of a campus event that will travel to over 20 college campuses in the next year.

As too many of us already know, irresponsible spending can land students in deep credit trouble before they know it.

Once some students fall into that hole, it can be hard for them to climb out.

This program is a good first step for students to learn the do’s and don’ts of proper spending.

At first glance, it does seem odd that a credit card company would want to promote, in effect, less credit card usage.

But when you think of the money they spend on chasing bad debts, it makes good business sense to do what they are doing.

Visa isn’t the only company benefiting from good student credit, however.

Think about what happens to your interest rates when thousands of students go into debt.

Some of the rates for student cards reach over 20 percent a year!

Obviously, the fewer students with high balances on their statements, the better it is for everyone else.

Your credit rating doesn’t affect just you; it affects everyone.

Remember that next time you want to charge that $600 stereo system to your card when you only have 12 bucks in your checking account.

Don’t dig yourself into a hole and get stuck.

Your credit rating can be your best friend — or your worst enemy.