It’s no secret that a college education is expensive — the University of Oregon estimates the one-year cost for an out of state resident to be $49,392. The idea is that students will earn that money back through the jobs they acquire after college, but the financial road through higher education can be a harrowing, draining and stressful journey fraught with Top Ramen and tears.
Students can try to alleviate some of their financial strain with student discounts. The discount fliers handed out on campus are only a small and focused fraction of the financial savings available to college students from a wide array of companies. Below is a list of some of the best discounts available online for students.
Amazon Prime Student
Amazon started as a book purchasing platform but has evolved into a massive online superstore where almost anything can be found, and often at a reasonable price. With just the click of a button, users can shop for anything, from groceries to vehicle parts.
A general Amazon membership is free, but in 2005 Amazon launched its Prime service. For $10.99 a month, Prime members receive free two-day shipping with select items, along with access to Amazon’s video and music service. Students are eligible for a six-month free Prime trial, courtesy of Sprint, and 50% off membership when the trial is over.
Adobe Creative Cloud
From photo and video editing to web and graphic design, Adobe Creative Cloud has it all. This software has gained widespread use in the creative industry by companies, artists, students and educators. Many of the university computers have access to Adobe products on them. Normally, Creative Cloud is $69.99 for all of the apps and business services or $39.99 a month for just the apps; but with a student discount the cost for all apps is $15.99 a month. Alternatively, a smaller Creative Cloud Photography package can be purchased for only $9.99 a month.
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an award winning business and finance paper. Since the first issue published in July 1889, The Wall Street Journal has become renowned for its business coverage, breaking news and more. The Wall Street Journal could be considered a must read for many business students.
Regular subscription for the Journal is broken up into options of $12 for 12 weeks, $99 for six months, or $277 for a year. But with the given discount, students can subscribe for only $15 for 15 weeks, or $49 for a year.
Apple
Apple devices like MacBooks, iPhones, iPods and Tablets are everywhere today. Microsoft versus Apple is a common debate, and Apple markets itself to college students by advertising products with a long lifespan and user-friendly interface. It’s Education Store online offers students discounts of up to $200 off on a new MacBook, among other deals.
Car Insurance
Many insurance companies offer generous discounts for students. Geico offers 15 percent off, Allstate 20 percent and State Farm and Farmer’s Insurance both offer 25 percent off car insurance. But there is a catch: all of these are only eligible for “good students.” This means, for the most part, that these students must be under 25 years old, be on the Dean’s or Honor Roll list, be ranked in the top 20 percent of their class, and have at least a 3.0 GPA.
This is only a short list, but Business Insider has a list of 34 discounts every student should use, and a simple Google search can uncover dozens more similar lists. Entertainment venues, movie theaters, clothing stores, restaurants, and even some fast food chains give discounts at certain locations. It never hurts to ask about student discounts.