OREANDA-NEWS. September 10, 2009.  “This year we will again be making one holder of an ISIC card very happy by giving them the right to drive a zippy little car perfect for students for a whole year,” said Allan Selirand, the head of the Business Development Department of SEB. “Only one of tens of thousands of students will get this chance”, reported the press-centre of SEB.

The ISIC card is one of the most unique cards in the world: it combines the functions of an international student identification card and a VISA Electron bank card. In co-operation with the Federation of Estonian Student Unions, SEB has been issuing ISIC cards for 10 years. In 1999 Estonia became the first country in the world to combine a student card with a bank card, and starting from this academic year, ISIC cards are now also recognised as official student identification cards in the country.

The ISIC card is one of the most widely used and popular cards among students, as it provides them with more than 700 perks in Estonia and 40,000 internationally. They are used to the fact that, as holders of the cards, they receive discounts on bus fares, theatre tickets and a wide range of other products and services, because the card offers benefits in the areas that are most useful to them. “And when they’re abroad the card gives them free entry to a lot of museums,” Selirand added.

SEB is also continuing to grant student loans of up to 30,000 kroons with an annual interest rate of 5%. In response to our clients’ wishes, we are allowing the loans to be drawn in several instalments over the year,” Selirand explained, adding that before making any decisions students should carefully consider whether they really need a loan and whether they are able to repay it.

Further information about ISIC cards and student loans can be found on SEB’s youth Internet portal www.isiclik.ee. You can also order ISIC cards on the site. ISIC cards are issued to students free of charge. Student loan contracts can be entered into at SEB branches or via the Internet bank U-Net.