The last thing you want to do is to cancel your credit card(s) right before applying for any types of loans, this is a bad idea. Canceling your card can affects your credit score negatively. When you have a lower credit score, that will result in higher interest rates and also may increase your fees. It doesn’t hurt for the account to stay open but it can hurt if you close it.
Instead of closing your account just leave it open, it doesn’t hurt. If you’re never going to use that credit card again, pay off the credit card or transfer your balance to a card with a lower interest rate and cut it up. You can cancel the credit card once you’ve decided that you’re not going to be needing a loan anytime soon.