You go to college to secure an education that will earn you a degree that will get you a better-paying job in the future. The problem is, college is really expensive while you’re there, as is just living your life. But you don’t have to live in total squalor while pursuing a degree. Your student status can actually net you decent discounts from a bunch of companies that want the business of a valuable demographic—so by all means, take advantage of the best student discounts available right now.
Bear in mind that to get any of these discounts, you’ll have to prove you’re a student, but that usually just requires the use of your .edu email address at signup or a flash of your campus ID card at in-person locations. A few, including Apple Music and Aeropostale, require you to verify your student status through UNiDAYS, a service that will also helps you find other daily deals just for students, so sign up for that, keep reading, and start saving.
News and entertainment
Table of Contents
For music, movies, and more at discounted prices, try these choice student discounts:
- Spotify’s student discount offers Spotify Premium for $4.99 per month (versus $9.99), and it includes a subscription to Hulu for good measure. (If you aren’t interested in Spotify, Hulu itself offers an ad-supported option to students for $1.99 per month.)
- Apple Music offers a free month, then a price of $5.99 a month for 48 months, which includes Apple TV+.
- Participating AMC Theaters “have special student pricing every day,” says the company, so call your local theater to ask if they offer lower rates.
- Paramount+ offers its Essential monthly plan for $3.75 if you’re a student.
- YouTube Premium is $6.99 a month for students, following a one-month free trial. You have to verify your student status annually.
- The Washington Post offers college students and K-12 teachers an “academic rate” that saves you 90% off a subscription, which comes out to about $1 per month.
Retail
If you go to school on a physical campus, you’ve surely already seen how many local businesses in the area advertise a student discount, but national retailers are in on the action, too.
- Outdoor Voices and Champion give students 20% off on online orders, but to unlock the discount, you have to sign up with Student Beans, another site like UNiDAYS that verifies your student status and links you with discounts.
- J.Crew and Aeropostale both offer 15% off purchases for students online and in their stores, while Levi’s offers the same discount online.
- Hanes and The North Face offer 10% discounts online, though the North Face’s offer also extends to full-price locations (not outlets) in real life.
- Microsoft will give you 10% off on select devices, Lenovo has a discount of 5% for students, and Apple offers varied discounts for students and educators at different times of year.
- Amazon Prime offers students their first six months of membership free, then charges just $7.49 per month after that, about half of what it normally costs.
Restaurants
National restaurant chains have more student discounts than you’d think. The only issue is a lot of these are only at “participating locations,” so call your favorite spots first to double-check.
For instance, Arby’s, Burger King, Subway, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, McDonald’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings locations usually offer students 10% off if you show your ID, according to the Krazy Coupon Lady.
Chipotle, Qdoba, and Chick-Fil-A typically offer free drinks.
Travel
You’re also entitled to discounts at a variety of travel companies, including those that handle transportation and even some hotels.
Amtrak gives students 15% off bookings and United Airlines offers a discount of 5% for anyone between the ages of 18 to 23. Hertz will rent you a car for 15 to 20% off if you’re over 21 and have had your license for over a year.
Choice Hotels (which include Acend, Cambria Suites, Clarion, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, EconoLodge, MainStay Suites, Quality Inn, and Rodeway Inn) give you 10% off your stay.
Productivity
Finally, if you have school or creative work to do, you can use the top software tools without breaking the bank.
Microsoft offers its Microsoft 365 Personal package to students for $2.99 per month (though many universities also offer it free, so check with your administration first).
GitHub has a Student Developer Pack that provides free access to software development tools.
Adobe Creative Cloud is $19.99 per month (compared to its usual price of $54.99) if you use a student email address when you buy it.