Reaping the Benefits of Student Discounts: Three Ways to Save That You Can’t Afford to Ignore

As older students, grads might not get caught up in what they believe to be the “hype” of student discounts. Cynical grad students might feel that these discounts are marketed to naïve undergrads who have more expendable cash. But really, who couldn’t use a discount? You clip coupons and buy things on sale at the supermarket, right? Regardless of age, as grad students we’re all bonded over the fact that we are in school—again— which comes with various expenses (text books, printing fees, living expenses, and not to mention those pesky loans that will come back to haunt you once you graduate). Here you will find three perks—really, I mean it—to being a student.

1. Computers and Software Savings: If you didn’t already know, well-known computer companies LOVE to advertise their back-to-school deals during the end of the summer. Regardless of your preference for a Mac or PC, there are some sweet deals out there targeted at students. HP gives you the option of signing up for educational discounts on their website, while Apple has continually offered a FREE iPod touch with the purchase of a laptop—perfect for those long bus or train rides home after class.

For software, Adobe offers savings of up to 80% off their products, which retail for up to $2,599—wow. Currently, Microsoft is offering their Microsoft Office 2010 version for $79.95 to qualified students. The process for ordering these products online is fairly simple, usually involving your student ID and some other proof of enrollment that can be requested from the registrar. It’s definitely worth it for deals like these on software that allows you to work on assignments on your time, not the library’s.

2. Student Advantage Card: As someone who has used this throughout undergrad and as a graduate student, I can attest to the benefits of this program for students. For $20 you can get a full year of deals. The complete list of affiliated companies is far too long to list, but includes Barnes & Noble, Target.com, Foot Locker, and AMC Entertainment. A huge selling point for me—and this should appeal to anyone who enjoys the occasional visit home—is that they offer discount travel rates on airfare, train tickets AND bus tickets. For those interested in the aforementioned computer deals, note that Student Advantage also offers discounts on academic software, which means even more savings on top of the other student discounts.

3. College ID Card Savings: Don’t just stick this in your wallet and only remove it when you need to get into a building. These cards are considered to be as valuable as credit cards in many restaurants, stores, theatres, and museums, especially in cities and towns that are densely populated with colleges. Some may allow you to add money to them for convenience when you encounter on-campus expenses; this can also be helpful in spreading out your funds so your money isn’t all in one place. Other ID card programs may not involve the ability to put money on them, but you can use them to get significant discounts at popular student spots.

It seems every other take out menu I’ve encountered during my life as a student has made it clear on the front page that “Such and Such College Card is accepted here!” And as busy students who don’t always have time to cook, we can all benefit from this.