College can be expensive, and depending on your class schedule and other responsibilities, there may be limited time to work.
This is why it’s best that college students stay on a low budget and keep expenses reasonable. One thing you can do to help is take advantage of the different discounts and freebies available for college students.
Here are 7 of the best student discounts and freebies for college students.
1. Amazon Student
Amazon Prime is a popular subscription that comes with so many perks and benefits like free two-day shipping, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive, Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, and more.
Students get a 6-month free trial of Amazon Prime and they can continue to pay a discounted rate of $6.49 per month afterward.
2. Gym Membership
If you’re a student, you should check to see if your college or university has a gym on campus. Most do as this allows students and staff the flexibility to exercise whenever they wish.
What you may not know is that it’s likely that your college will allow you to work out there for free so long as you’re actively enrolled in classes. It’s easy to put your health on the back burner during your college years, but you don’t have to if you have a free gym membership.
This is something I took advantage of at my university and they also offered free nutrition coaching and consulting as well.
3. Microsoft Office
Most students will need Microsoft Office to write papers, create presentations and complete other types of assignments. Normally, Microsoft office comes with a 30-day free trial followed by an annual fee.
However, students and educators are eligible for Office 365 and this includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note, and Microsoft Teams.
4. Club Membership
When I was in college I was always looking for the next best deal on groceries. I had to cook not only for myself but also my son, and I often shopped at warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club to buy food and other items in bulk.
I remember stocking up on snacks, freezer foods and even household toiletries in the fall. This helped me stick to my budget throughout the year and save money overall.
What I didn’t know was that Sam’s Club offers a $15 e-gift card to students who sign up for a membership.
5. Free Textbooks
College textbookscan be one of those hidden but necessary costs you’ll run into each semester. You don’t really know how much your books will cost or what you’ll need until you sign up for the class or receive a syllabus.
College books can easily run you an extra $400+ for a full-time student. If you qualify for financial aid, you may be able to get your textbooks for free.
Students who receive a book voucher can apply it to textbook and school supply purchases at their college’s bookstore. Go to FAFSA.ed.gov to apply for a FAFSA to find out if you’ll qualify for grants and a textbook voucher.
Even if you don’t get a voucher, you can still save money on textbooks by using discount sites or renting your books for the semester instead.
6. Transportation
Let’s face it, Uber and Lyft rides can add up. If you living on or near campus, you may be able to use campus buses and local transit for free.
This can save you a ton of money even if there are just discounts available. You may even be able to get by without a car if you’re on a very walkable campus in an area with a lot of amenities.
Doing this would reduce costs like a car loan, registration, gas, tolls, and maintenance. In other words, potentially thousands of dollars in savings per year.
7. Restaurants
There’s nothing wrong with dining outoccasionally if you can afford it. Sometimes things get so busy during the semester that you may need to order food or go out for lunch in between classes.
One thing you can do to cut costs in this area is take advantage of restaurant discounts for students. There may be local restaurants that offer student deals and a lot of chain restaurants offer them as well.
In addition to utilizing a student discount, get coupons online for restaurants to save money on dining out or join a loyalty rewards program if you frequent certain places.
Summary
Getting by during college becomes easier when you take advantage of these discounts and freebies for college students. So, be sure to see which discounts and freebies are available for students on your campus and in your town.
