The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is one of the best credit cards for students — particularly for frequent travelers or students studying abroad. It has a simple flat-rate rewards program, a higher-than-average sign-up bonus for a student card and a long intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. Its rewards are flexible because you can apply them as statement credits toward eligible travel and dining expenses. Plus, it has a $0 annual fee and a $0 foreign transaction fee.
However, you won’t get a higher rewards rate on specific spending categories, and it has few additional card benefits. Additionally, it’s geared toward students with good / excellent credit. If you’re looking to earn a higher rewards rate in your top spending categories and are willing to put in a bit of effort, you may be better off with a category card like the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Rewards Rate | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students*
|
1.5X points
Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases. | 25,000 points
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
| $0 | ||
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
|
1% - 8% cash back
| $50 Cash Back
Earn $50 Cash Back when you spend $100 in the first three months
| $0 | ||
Discover it® Student Cash Back
 Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
1% - 5% cash back
| Unlimited Cashback Match
Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.
| $0 |
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students*
|
1% - 3% cash back
| $200 cash rewards
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
| $0 |
Simple flat-rate rewards
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students offers a straightforward rewards program. You’ll earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases. This is ideal for first-time credit card users because you won’t need to track spending categories.
Another difference between this card and some of the other top student credit cards is that this is a travel credit card that earns points rather than cash back. This means you’ll get the best value when you redeem your points for travel purchases.
Earn a 25% to 75% rewards bonus
Bank of America Preferred Rewards® members get a 25% to 75% bonus on rewards earned with this card. Plus, you’ll get additional Bank of America perks and discounted pricing on other Bank of America services. To qualify, you’ll need a Bank of America checking account and a three-month average combined balance of at least $20,000. Balances across both Bank of America and Merrill investment accounts can be combined to meet this requirement.
Generous sign-up bonus
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students offers the following sign-up bonus: Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
While this sign-up bonus isn’t as large as those offered by travel credit cards with annual fees, it’s an outstanding offer for a student credit card. Most student credit cards don’t offer any sign-up bonus.
Note that the value decreases if redeemed for cash back, and you’ll need to meet the spending requirement to get the bonus. In comparison, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card has a lower sign-up bonus, but there’s also a much lower spending requirement: Earn $50 Cash Back when you spend $100 in the first three months.
Flexible travel redemption options
Unlike many travel credit cards that require you to redeem rewards through the issuer’s travel portal, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students lets you redeem points at a rate of 1 cent per point for any qualifying travel purchase. You can redeem points as statement credits for purchases such as:
Redemptions start at 2,500 points ($25 value). Plus, you’re not restricted to specific websites or subject to blackout dates or restrictions.
$0 foreign transaction fee
In addition to its valuable rewards, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is a top travel credit card for students because it has a $0 foreign transaction fee. If you’re a student planning to study abroad, it could be a great choice to take along with you.
Some cards charge 1% to 3% in foreign transaction fees, which can really add up. For example, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Long intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
If you’re planning to finance a large purchase with your card or transfer a balance, this card offers a long intro APR for both purchases and balance transfers. It has a 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases and a 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. Then, an 18.24% to 28.24% Variable APR will apply. Other top student credit cards either lack an introductory APR or provide a much shorter period.
No bonus categories
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students offers a flat-rate rewards program. In comparison, other student credit cards like the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students earn higher cash back rates in specific categories. Meanwhile, the Discover it® Student Cash Back lets you earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
These category-based rewards give some other cards greater earning potential compared to the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students.
| Rewards earned per $1 spent* | |
|---|---|
| Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card | $0.022 |
| Discover it® Student Cash Back | $0.017 |
| Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students | $0.016 |
| Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students | $0.015 |
| Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card | $0.015 |
| Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students | $0.015 |
| Discover it® Student Chrome | $0.013 |
Few additional benefits
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students travel benefits are limited to its $0 foreign transaction fee and the ability to redeem rewards for travel purchases. You won’t get benefits like auto rental coverage or credit card travel insurance. Additionally, you won’t get purchase protection or extended warranty.
While this is typical for a student credit card, options like the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offer added benefits such as extended warranty and MasterRental Coverage.
Lower redemption value for cash back
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students allows you to redeem rewards for travel at a rate of approximately 1 cent per point, meaning 2,500 points are worth about $25. However, if redeemed for cash back, the value decreases to 0.6 cents per point, making 2,500 points worth $15.
Targeted for students with Good / Excellent credit
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is designed for students with good / excellent credit. If you don’t meet this requirement, you may want to explore other top student credit cards. For example, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is geared toward students with fair credit, while the Discover it® Student Cash Back is aimed at those with limited / fair credit.
For students with lower credit scores, starting with a secured credit card like the Discover it® Secured Credit Card can be a great option. Secured cards are ideal for building credit, as they require a security deposit that serves as your credit line. With responsible card use, you can eventually graduate to an unsecured card and have your deposit refunded.
Like the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students, this card has a $0 annual fee (see rates & fees). However, it comes with several additional benefits, including extended warranty and MasterRental® Coverage.
You can earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. Discover’s categories may include grocery stores, restaurants and more. If you’re comfortable tracking spending categories, this card could help you save significantly on everyday expenses.
This card requires more effort to manage compared to the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students due to its quarterly spending cap and the need to manually select your preferred 3% category. This card also isn’t ideal for students traveling or studying abroad due to its 3% foreign transaction fee on all purchases made in a foreign currency.
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is best for students who travel often or plan to study abroad and prefer a simple rewards program. The card offers flexibility in redeeming rewards for travel purchases and has a $0 foreign transaction fees. It also has a $0 annual fee and a simple flat-rate rewards program, eliminating the need to track spending categories. Because of its rewards and generous sign-up bonus, this card provides some of the best value for students.
However, the card lacks benefits such as travel insurance, rental car coverage, purchase protection or extended warranty. Additionally, other student credit cards may offer higher rewards in specific spending categories like dining, entertainment or groceries. If you’re looking for a card with higher rewards in these categories, consider the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, Discover it® Student Cash Back or Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students.
If you’re satisfied with your card, you can continue using the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students even after you graduate. However, you may want to transition to a card that better suits your post-graduation goals. In that case, you can either apply for a new credit card or contact Bank of America to ask if you can switch to a Bank of America credit card that aligns better with your preferences.
Tip: If you want to request a product change with Bank of America, keep in mind that many customers report challenges during the process. Some mention needing to speak with multiple representatives, while others note that you may have to wait a year or longer after getting your card to become eligible for a product change.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students, Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students and Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
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