100+ Best Freebies & Discounts for College Students
When I was an undergrad at Carnegie Mellon, I knew all the ways my student ID got me a student discount or freebie. Whether it was a 10 percent discount at a store or free bus rides, my student ID was great!
A few years later, when I started an MBA, I got another student ID and had to re-learn all the places I could use it!
Fortunately, my work is your gain – here are some of the best freebies available for college students. Make the cash you earn at your college job go a little bit further!
Not every merchant lists their student discounts online and there might be tons of local places near you that offer student discounts that I’ll never know about – so as accurate as I can try to be on my list, nothing beats asking.
Everyone knows college isn’t free and college students are usually cash poor.
Anywhere you go, remember to ask if there is a discount for students. If the answer is yes – whip out your student ID. Win! If the answer is no – no harm in asking!
Many banks offer free checking for students, including:
If you are OK with online banking, you can often get a better deal with an online bank – higher interest rates, lower fees, low or no minimums. No student requirements here.
Here is a full list of the best student bank accounts.
Budgeting is much simpler when you’re a student. Very little income, few expenses, and all the numbers are much smaller.
It’s also the best time to start budgeting because it is so simple! And because You Need a Budget is free for college students!
With Amazon Student you get a variety of discounts on a lot of Amazon services, including Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Music Unlimited, GrubHub, and Prime Video . Plus free two-day shipping.
Check your local museums and fine arts programs. They usually offer discounts or free admission to area universities with a valid student ID.
And here’s my best shot at collecting all the student discounts available at nationally represented stores or service providers.
First, some of these require that you join Student Advantage. It’s a discount card for students with an annual fee ($30 as of this writing) but gives you access to a litany of discounts.
Others may have a relationship with UNiDAYS, similar to Student Advantage except it’s free. You need to confirm that you are a student (either logging into your university account or via your university email) but otherwise, you get access to discounts and cashback rewards.
Lastly, you may have read elsewhere about getting free drinks, discounts, or other perks at various quick-service restaurants. These are highly region-specific, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Onto the list:
From going to the movies to listening to music, you can get a discount.
Most cell phone carriers offer business, educator, and military discounts. Your university or insurance provider might offer a special discount. Prepaid cell phone plans might offer a lower price even without a college student discount.
Unlike clothing retailers with 10% or 20% off, electronics usually offer special educational models or pricing:
When dining locally, always ask if there is a student discount, even at chain restaurants. If it’s a franchise, the owner can decide on these discounts.
Being a good student proves that you’re responsible. Responsible people pay less for insurance.
Companies love to give free software to students because it introduces you to their software at a time when you’re least able to pay and most likely to form your usage habits.
Start by going to your school’s IT department to see what software they have available (for example, here’s the free software page of the University of Pittsburgh students). Many universities have a large number of seat licenses that enable you to use the software like you would borrow a book from the library. It’ll cost you nothing and you can get access to a lot of great (and expensive) software packages.
Here are a few companies that give out free software specifically to students:
And if it’s your birthday, check out this list of restaurants that give you free food!
If you know of a discount not on this list (or one that is on the list but no longer offered), email me and I’ll update this.
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