Here’s How I Turned a College Tuition Payment Into an Easy 160,000 Miles & Points – Worth $1,300+ in Travel

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For those paying college tuition, it can be a large investment and burden on your finances.  I’m currently buried in student debt and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.  However, now that I’ve taught my wife how to earn millions of miles and points with travel rewards credit cards, she is using it to her advantage!

We were able to use her tuition bill to earn big bonuses on 2 credit cards, IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express.  I estimate the Delta miles & IHG points she earned to collectively be worth $1,300+ in travel!

How (And Why) to Pay College Tuition With Travel Credit Cards

Many colleges and universities do accept credit cards to pay for tuition.  However, be wary that they will charge a processing fee, including my alma mater Arizona State University (go Sun Devils!).  If your institution charges a fee, it may actually still work out in your favor.  Be sure to crunch the numbers ahead of time.

My wife is attending the University of Utah (go Utes!), and her tuition for this semester was ~$5,000.  Luckily, the University of Utah does not charge a processing or service fee.  So it was a perfect opportunity to pick up some points and miles!

She applied for both the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express ahead of time and was approved for both.  The card is currently offering an 80,000 IHG-point bonus with the card after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. At the time she applied she was able to earn a bonus of 100,000 IHG points after meeting minimum spend requirements (offer no longer available).

And her AMEX Delta Gold card earned her a bonus of 60,000 Delta miles after meeting the minimum spending requirements.  But again that offer is no longer publicly available.  With the card’s current offer you can earn 30,000 Delta miles after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

BAM, easy points!

One point to note is that these charges may get flagged as fraudulent by your credit card provider because of the large transaction.  To save time and hassle at your university registrar, call ahead and let your credit card issuer know you will be making a big payment.

Bottom Line

While this isn’t paying for every expense we’ll have on our vacation, covering the two largest expenses (flights and hotels) is a great way to start traveling for less!

Have you ever paid for your tuition with a travel credit card (if not, here are the best ones)?  What was your experience like?  Let’s hear it in the comments!

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