Some students may not be able to feed and clothe themselves for free during the first few weeks of the semester, thanks to legislation signed by President Barack Obama last May.

The law, Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009, bans the on-campus marketing of credit cards to those under the age of 21, according to a Sept. 2 Kernel article. No longer will students be able to score free swag like T-shirts and Papa John’s pizza in exchange for filling out a credit card application.

While free food is nice and one can never have too many obscure T-shirts lying around for those lazy mornings, the president made the best decision for college students. Though adults, students aren’t especially concerned with their credit, nor are they typically money savvy.

“Getting a credit card for a T-shirt has never been, nor will it ever be, a good idea,” said Thom Payne, director of branch sales and service at UK Federal Credit Union.

It’s hard to resist free things when every cent earned is handed over to UK or a landlord. But credit card companies have been preying on vulnerable students for long enough, and it’s time something was done to stop them.

Students don’t necessarily realize what they’re getting themselves into when applying for a credit card, which is part of the danger. The average credit card balance for undergraduate students is about $3,100 and continues to climb each year, Payne said. If credit card companies and their applications weren’t so readily available to students, it’s hard to believe this number wouldn’t significantly decrease.

The signed legislation will tighten or end on-campus marketing by next fall, according to the Kernel article. But that’s not soon enough.

UK and the businesses around campus should take matters into their own hands and not allow these entities to set up at their events or on their property. Allowing the companies to be there is one thing, but allowing them to bribe students with free gifts should not be permitted.

The federal government has things moving in the right direction, but UK, and colleges across the country, should take a little more responsibility for the growing debt of undergraduates.