21 College Student Discounts & Freebies That’ll Save You LOADS of Money
Updated: July 15, 2019
College is so awesome (and expensive)!
That’s why college student discounts and freebies are everything! With the rising cost of college tuition, room and board, and textbooks, you’ve got to save wherever possible. Luckily, many companies are here to help with offers and special deals and perks – and all you need is a college ID or email address! 📚
1. Get 6 free months of Amazon Prime.
College students can score a FREE 6-month Amazon Prime membership that will give you free 2-day shipping on millions of items, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Prime Video, free unlimited photo storage, 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals and exclusive offers, and discounts!
Please note – To qualify for 6 Months of FREE Amazon Student, you must have a valid .edu email address and you’ll need to specify your college/university, year, and major.
2. Score Amazon Music Unlimited for less than $5/mo.
Eligible Prime Student members can sign up for Amazon Music Unlimited for ONLY $4.99 per month! You must verify your enrollment in a degree-granting college or university in order to qualify.
With Music Unlimited, you can stream all the music you love on any device, use unlimited skips, and not listen to annoying ads. Plus, you can save your data with offline listening!
3. Get 3 free months of Apple Music.
For a limited time, new subscribers can head on over to Apple Music to score a free 3-Month Trial. Note that you will need to have a payment method on file in order to claim your free three months.
Even better, students enrolled in degree-granting universities and colleges can join Apple Music at a discounted monthly rate of $4.99 (regularly $9.99) for up to 48 months (4 years).
4. Save up to $200 (and get free Beats headphones) at the Apple Store.
Apple is currently offering free Beats wireless headphones and up to $200 off whenever you buy an eligible Mac or iPad with Apple Education Pricing for students. Keep in mind that you must verify your student eligibility through UNiDAYS (a site that offers exclusive student discounts and verifies eligibility) in order to take advantage of this special pricing.
5. Save money on AT&T phones and service plans.
Students, get discounts on AT&T wireless phones and services just by validating your email address on AT&T’s website. Just enter and submit your work or school email address and they’ll show you whether you qualify for applicable discounts and benefits on wireless services, devices, and more.
6. Save 15% at Banana Republic.
Want to save on clothing? Students can save an additional 15% off your full-priced purchase at Banana Republic stores only with your valid student ID (not valid online).
7. Shop Barnes & Noble for up to 80% off sticker prices.
If you’re looking to save on textbooks, Barnes & Noble offers several options, including buying used/new textbooks, renting your textbooks, and even selling your textbooks for cash! They offer only the highest quality used books so you won’t find mildew stains, missing pages, or massive underlining! Even lab manuals, study guides, and workbooks are intact and virtually scribble-free.
Don’t want to rent? If you plan to keep your textbooks, Barnes & Noble offers a huge selection of used textbooks available for purchase at 80% off their sticker price. Plus, at the end of the semester, if your textbooks are still in good condition, you can sell your books back to them for cash!
8. Get discounts at free college events with Bed Bath & Beyond.
Participating Bed Bath & Beyond stores host FREE College Events and Campus Ready Events where you can get expert help, learn creative tips, receive a special discount, enjoy refreshments, enter drawings, and more! These events change often and RSVPs are encouraged.
Also, if you’re planning to attend college away from home, you may want to take advantage of their free Moving Solutions Service! Instead of packing up and hauling your stuff across the country or state, just head to your local Bed Bath & Beyond or online and do your shopping.
You can have your purchases shipped directly to your school or to the Bed Bath & Beyond store near your campus and pick it up when you get there at no cost to you (only valid from May 1st-October 3rd). Contact your local Bed Bath & Beyond store for more details or watch this video here.
9. Save money on appliances and equipment at Best Buy.
Enroll in Best Buy Student Deals (free to join!), and you’ll get exclusive savings on various laptops, TVs, headphones, coffee makers, personal care products, and more.
10. Score below-MSRP prices on Chevrolet vehicles.
The Chevrolet College Discount Program entitles eligible college students, grad students, and recent grads to below-MSRP prices. Be sure to get an exclusive authorization code to secure your discount.
11. See movies on the cheap with Cinemark.
Heading to the movies? Show a valid student ID at participating Cinemark box offices and receive a special discount, valid at select theaters only! Keep in mind that discount days, times, and restrictions may vary depending on theater location. Visit your local theater’s box office for more details.
12. Save up to 20% on Dell computers.
Through Dell University, students can enjoy savings and special packages, such as exclusive discounts and a 30-day Price Match Guarantee on PCs, up to 6% back in rewards, free expedited delivery, access to exclusive offers, extra 20% on all PCs in the Member Exclusive Store with coupon, and more!
13. Shop J. Crew and save 15%.
J. Crew offers a 15% discount to all college students and teachers whenever they shop in stores (J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and J.Crew Mercantile) and show a valid school ID at checkout. This promotion is not valid at jcrew.com or jcrewfactory.com or on phone orders.
14. Get FREE Microsoft Office 365 + 10% off Windows devices.
Students are eligible for free Office 365 for Education, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and now Microsoft Teams, plus additional classroom tools. Also, students get 10% off Windows devices and more – all you need to get started is a valid school email address.
15. See your fave flicks with Regal Cinemas discounts.
Many Regal Cinemas offer student discounts. Visit the Regal Cinemas website to find a list of participating theaters, scroll down to the theater you plan to visit and click on the theater name. Find the movie you’re interested in and click on the showtime. That page will show you pricing info, as well as student discount availability.
16. Score a Sally Beauty Supply student card for exclusive low prices.
Want to save on beauty items? College students can save on products with a Beauty Student Card from Sally Beauty Supply. You’ll get exclusive monthly discounts, low prices, and special email offers. Simply present your beauty school ID and complete an application at your local Sally Beauty store to receive your student card.
17. Sign up for Sam’s Club for $45 and get $15 back!
College students can sign up online as a new Sam’s Savings member for just $45 and instantly score a free $15 Sam’s Club eGift Card. To get started, go here to register and verify your student status with UNiDAYS (a site that offers exclusive student discounts & verifies eligibility).
18. Get Spotify + Hulu for only $4.99/month.
Students can score Spotify Premium for Students PLUS Hulu’s Limited Commercials Plan for just $4.99 per month! This means you’ll get ad-free music as well as full seasons of hit series, movies, HULU originals, and more on all your compatible devices for under $5 per month!
If you’re already on Spotify Premium for Students, you can now activate Hulu and pay just $4.99 per month for both services. To qualify, you must be a student currently enrolled at a US Title IV accredited college or university and over the age of 18. Head here for more info and to get started.
19. Read The New York Times for less than a buck a week.
The New York Times offers a discounted rate for college students of just $1 per week for digital access (regularly $3.75/week)… which equals out to just $48 per year! With a valid school email address, students can also get discounted rates on a print subscription or more premium digital content.
20. Save money on your subscription to The Washington Post.
The Washington Post also offers students a discounted digital subscription with a valid .edu email address. Once you’ve verified your email, you’ll have access to the Post‘s content on all platforms. After you graduate (or no longer work at your eligible school), your subscription rate will increase to the standard Basic Digital subscription rate.
21. Check national food chains for student deals.
While not always advertised on their websites, participating restaurants may offer varying discounts to students depending on location. Some national chains rumored to offer student discounts include Subway, Pizza Hut, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle and Dairy Queen. Yum!
Be sure to contact your local store or restaurant to verify participation in the above offers.
Thank you for sharing.
You’re so welcome!
I love Prime Student. I switched from Prime to Student when I decided to go back for my masters. I haven’t noticed a difference at all. Such a bargain!
Did you have to cancel your old account and start a new one? I’m doing the same and would love to take advantage of the student discount, but I don’t want to lose all my photos in my existing prime account.
Definitely sign up for unidays! Lost of stores offer student discounts! Including under armour!
Is the Sams club offer better than the usual deal that’s posted for Sams??
Unidays is a website dedicated to college or university student discounts. They do verify your school email. And they give referral credit.
myunidays.com/r/AuaozMZJs3w
When I follow your link, the URL changes from the one you posted and it doesn’t say anything about a referral or have a section for me to enter a referral code. I just wanted to make sure I’m doing it right before I sign up and you miss out on your referral.
Very timely information. Thanks again Hip2Save ❤️
You’re welcome Tonya! 🙂
Just an FYI. I just called AT&T to try and get the student discount and it doesn’t apply to any unlimited plans. Hope that helps! Thanks for all the student discount tips!
Thanks!!!
I got Amazon student prime AND Microsoft office without a .edu email. My nursing program email ended differently. So, I contacted customer service for both. They just requested I verify my start and end dates or proof I was currently taking classes. Easily done w a printout from school or enrollment papers.
Hanes.com also offers 10% student discount
I tried the link to the Washington Post subscription and it said i did not qualify for a free subscription. I used my school email ending in .edu.
If I am not mistaken, Adorama also gives student discount. Here’s the link: https://www.adorama.com/edu.
Washington Post is not offered for free for students or educators. Just fyi.
Only for govt and military.