If she can do a credit union she should. If she’s able to bank with USAA she should jump all over it. I get reimbursed for atm withdrawals and can do all banking on my app.
We have sone funds at PenFed Credit Union. It is earning 2% interest. It’s one of the best rates we can find. There aren’t many branches but we are fine with that.
My kids like Schwab for reimbursing them all ATM fees, even when we are in Canada. We also have funds in the local banks that have branches in the supermarket. It’s convenient for us.
S has BoA checking account for direct deposit of income (from part-time and summer internships) and debit card (rarely used). He maintains a modest balance based on monthly spend average. Also has BoA issued CC sees most use (tied to checking account for auto bill pay). Schwab brokerage account attached to BoA checking account. He’s had the schwab account since high school (custodial account then, now all his) and he’s already seeing the value investing. Should roll over to six figures after this summer. Two factor authentication on all accounts. He’s building a great financial base.
I highly recommend Fidelity or Ally or one of the banks where you can do everything online and use any ATM anywhere with no fees. There are drawbacks though. Check Deposits are cumbersome. You can use their mobile app but I seem to get a lot of ‘rejected not legible’ compared to mobile deposits I do at BofA. Otherwise you have to mail in check deposits and sometimes I have large checks that cannot be mobile deposited. That is not going to work with young people. As we all know, they don’t have stamps.
Other issue is they take a long time to send out transfers or bill pays.
We use a local bank. No fees, no ATM fees, always reimbursement for ATM fees from other banks. Plus I can walk in and talk to a real person if ever needed. Also have my mortgage there, with a guarantee it will never be sold (and given that other recent thread, that’s pretty important to us.) All with competitive rates.
I realize that doesn’t help the OP, but this is more an answer to “why ever go local?”
^ but can you get money, deposit a check or get help at 2am from a different state? I think that’s the litmus test of a OOS college student.
Again, not a reply the OP. An answer to “why would anyone use a local bank?”
Also, lots of banks, including mine, have check scan ability. So yes, I can deposit a check out of state. Not sure that the 2am is college student dependent (though I’ve never needed bank help at that hour).
Almost all banks have monthly and/or per check limits on mobile deposits, typically ranging from $1,000 to 2,500. If the bank doesn’t have a physical location near the campus, that could become an issue.
I will suggest Cap One, I have a totally free checking account with no minimum deposit. No ATM fee in their network which is all over the place (in US), often in drugstores and the like. Obviously online banking with take photo check deposit and debit card, also branches depending where you are - and cafes 
I use it mostly when I travel as I also have a local bank I use for my main checking.
No fee/no minimum: https://www.capitalone.com/bank/checking-accounts/online-checking-account/
@fireflyscout - not sure why your son coulnd’t roll into that one?
“Almost all banks have monthly and/or per check limits on mobile deposits, typically ranging from $1,000 to 2,500.”
Never experienced that with Fidelity, FYI.
We’ve never had issues with this either. I have written both kids checks for up to $10,000 and neither had any issues electronically mobile depositing them at their respective bank accounts at different banks.
^ not been an issue for me either. Deposited plenty over 5k.
Thanks for all the suggestions! She found a local credit union she likes that reimburses her for using out of network ATMs. But she is still looking…
My stepfather uses a local bank and he deposits checks on his cell phone…It’s not like he’s depositing checks frequently so he doesn’t get dinged
He can withdraw cash from any ATM and his bank reimburses him…
My S ran into this issue with mobile deposit limit recently, so I looked it up at a few banks with branches near his campus (daily/monthly limits):
Chase - $2k/5k
Citibank - $1k/3k (for accounts older than 6 months)
Wells Fargo - $2.5k/5k
BoA - $10k/10k (for accounts older than 3 months)
He also has Fidelity nearby. Does Fidelity offer credit card for college students?
@1NJParent They do offer a credit card tied to the account. To my knowledge, they don’t have anything special for students but one of my kids did obtain the card when still a student and both had a debit card tied to their accounts while a student.
I should have specified that D is no longer in college…
S will stay with Wells Fargo for now since he is headed off to college.