Getting approved for a credit card and getting approved for a student loan although they both are loans, the lender tends to look at different parts of your credit. For a loan they will look more into your employment and earnings as well as your debt/income split. When I was changing professions back to aviation, I took out a loan through Sally Mae, I had a great credit score etc, but all they cared about was how long I was with my company and how much I made etc. I had to provide them W-2's and 1099's (from contract consulting work) to get the loan at a decent rate. NEVER use a credit card for a loan type scenerio such as this, with the APR charged on credit cards even if you have perfect credit they will drag you over the coals and you will pay through your nose for years and years to pay it off......