WASHINGTON -U.S. News & World Report has shined the spotlight on credit unions as part of its "Special Report: Paying for College; Finding Help on Campus." According to the article, which touts the benefits of membership, credit unions can be quite a campus resource for college students. "Credit unions-nonprofit financial institutions owned by their members-can be a good deal for the college set. Like banks, they provide checking and savings accounts as well as credit cards. But those services are often offered free without requirements that banks tend to tack on, like direct deposit or a minimum balance," stated the article. "Credit unions, which tend to be small and local, can give financially overwhelmed students some crucial hand-holding." As examples of the credit union difference, the article pointed to Oxford, Ohio-based First Miami University Student & Alumni FCU's efforts to teach students how to balance their checkbooks and instruct the debt-ridden in how to boost sagging credit scores and Austin, Texas-based Aggieland Credit Union's being a true college campus partner by helping students get loans for everything from trucks to Aggie rings- which are considered necessities for many Texas A&M University seniors.