Opening a bank account
You can open a US checking account with your passport, your I-20, proof of your Porter address, and (if you have one) a Social Security number — some banks accept an account without an SSN. Bring the documents in person in the first weeks. A student checking account with no monthly fee and a nearby branch or campus ATM is the practical choice. A debit card comes with it.
Social Security number
You are eligible for an SSN only with an on-campus job offer (or CPT/OPT authorization). It is not an ID card and you do not need it just to study, but it makes banking, credit, and taxes easier. The international office walks you through the application, which requires a letter from your employer and from the international office.
Phone
A prepaid plan needs only an ID and can start same-day; a contract or monthly plan may run a credit check and ask for a deposit if you have no US credit history. Prepaid is usually the right start; switch to a regular plan once you have a few months of credit.
Why a US credit history matters
Renting an apartment, getting a regular phone plan, a car loan, and eventually a mortgage all check a US credit score — and yours starts at nothing regardless of your credit abroad. Building it takes months of small, consistent activity, so start early.
Building credit safely
The standard path: a secured credit card (you deposit, say, a few hundred dollars, which becomes your limit) or a student credit card if you qualify. Use it for one small recurring charge, pay the full statement balance every month automatically, and never carry a balance or miss a payment. After 6–12 months of this, a regular card is usually available.
Avoiding trouble
Do not treat a credit card as extra money — the interest is punishing and a missed payment damages the score you are trying to build. Ignore offers that promise to "fix" or "build" credit for a fee. The financial-wellness coach on campus will set up a simple, safe plan with you for free, and the free VITA clinic handles the tax return you must file.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. Every office, person, building, phone number and statistic on this page is invented; nothing here describes a real institution or a service you can actually contact.