ZenS - that's awful. Your school is rotten.
uh YEAH.
I'd go down to the financial office and get past the front desk people to show them what's going on. I'm sure you'll get the brush off but it is a start. I wonder if what they are doing by limiting your options is somehow illegal? This kind of stuff really pisses me off. There are a lot of nasty, predatory, customer-no-service card companies out there and it sounds like you've got one. Perhaps a call to your state attorney generals office, consumer division, might be in order before you go much farther. LOL, maybe a call to Dave Ramsey, too.

I've had to deal with these types of companies of behalf of a relative who has some brain damage, and was taken advantage of in a number of ways by cards.

Schools can be a total pain in the butt. My son's college won't accept VISA for tuition payments, only MC. Why? "that's what the board voted on". Stupid.