The state's college students don't know enough about managing money and debt and get themselves in trouble, state Treasurer Janet Cowell learned on a debt tour of college campuses.

Cowell visited four campuses, Wake Tech, Alamance Community College, Fayetteville State University and High Point University and met with 53 students. She found that students were using credit cards for every day purchases and getting into trouble with debt.

"This experience, along with national research, has demonstrated the need for programs that can assist and educate students on debt and its consequences," Cowell said. 

In a report, Cowell made six recommendations for new programs that could help students make better choices. Her report included resources that could help the state pay for the changes.

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State Treasurer Janet Cowell is going to become a credit counselor.

Well, sort of.

Cowell announced this week that she plans to visit several college campuses to educate students about credit card use and debt.

Cowell's office said that 84 percent of college students had at least one credit card last yeaer, with half of them having more than four credit cards. The office said the average balance on student credit cards have risen to a record high of $3,200.

Cowell's credit tour is being done in conjunction with Generation Engage, a nonprofit that encourages young people to become active in their communities

The Hill, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill, has a brief profile today on U.S. Rep. Brad Miller of Raleigh and his role alongside Financial Services committee Chairman Barney Frank of Massachusetts.

Miller, a Democrat, isn’t one of the House’s better-known members, but as The Hill says, he has “become a critical player” in the ongoing battles in Congress between consumers and financial institutions, reports Barb Barrett.

The Hill reports:

While Miller has had a hand already in a broad range of housing and mortgage lending issues, his most critical work this year will come as Congress debates setting up a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to oversee products like mortgage loans and credit cards.

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones stood on stage behind President Barack Obama today as the president signed a sweeping credit card reform act into law.

Jones, of Farmville, was a co-sponsor of the reform bill and the only Republican House member to have a seat on the stage at this afternoon’s White House ceremony, Barb Barrett reports.

He won re-election to his 8th term last year after a tough GOP primary battle in which some Republicans said Jones wasn’t conservative enough on some issues.

Among those in the audience were Democratic Reps. Brad Miller of Raleigh and David Price of Chapel Hill. Miller also co-sponsored the bill.

And Price inserted a key disclosure requirement in the bill that forces credit card companies to tell borrowers how much it would cost them to make just minimum payments on their debts.