College is expensive even if you attend an in-state college and have financial aid or grants. There are expenses related to living on your own – or living at home as a young adult – and it’s essential to make your budget stretch as far as possible.
At Addition Financial, we talk to parents and college students every day about finances. One of the things we love sharing is where to find a good student discount. Student discounts are everywhere and they can do a lot to help college students save money. Here are 11 student discounts that you can take advantage of this year, plus some tips on how to find additional discounts.
#1: Target
Target is a place where you can buy everything from groceries to electronics. With a lot of students feeling the pinch of a limited budget, Target expanded its student discount program in 2022.
If you are a Target Circle member – joining is free – you can get 20% off on a one-time purchase from Target if you’re a student. You can also enjoy tax-free weekends if you live or attend school in a state that has a sales tax. Your best bet to maximize your savings is to make a comprehensive list, go on a weekend and buy everything you need at once. You can get more information on Target’s website, here.
#2: Amazon Prime
You probably know about Amazon Prime, but you may not know that Amazon Prime Student is a special offer for students. Anybody with a valid student ID can claim a student membership at a reduced price. In fact, you’ll get your first six months free and then pay just $59 per year.
As an Amazon Prime student, you’ll receive an Amazon student discount on selected items, plus exclusive deals on popular products. You’ll also be eligible for free food delivery from GrubHub and a 10% discount on flights and hotels through StudentUniverse. You can read about all the benefits and discounts here.
#3: UNiDAYS
UNiDAYS is both a website and an app that offers verified student members discounts on just about everything. It’s free to download and join. Once you have verified your student status, you can claim exclusive discounts on everything from healthcare and beauty products to travel and lodging.
The thing we love about UNiDAYS is that they offer steep discounts on major brands. For example, a recent deal offered students a 50% storewide discount from Hollister. They also provide stackable deals where you can layer discounts on top of each other to maximize your savings. You can click here to review an A to Z list of available discounts.
#4: ASOS
ASOS is an affordable clothing brand that has a popular website where you can buy clothing and accessories. Students can save on the site’s already-low prices by registering as a student to claim a unique discount code to use for their entire student career.
With your code, you will receive a 10% discount on every purchase you make. ASOS also offers next-day delivery and returns are free, which means it’s super easy to get everything you need to look good on campus. You can read more and claim your code here.
#5: Student Beans
Student Beans is a brand loyalty network geared toward full-time students. The app is free to download. While it got its start in the UK and took its name from a staple food for students, it’s available to students in the United States, too.
Once Student Beans verifies your student status, you can use the app to claim deep discounts on clothing, food, travel and electronics. Some sample deals we saw included a 20% discount at Lattelier, 15% off at Eufy and an exclusive discount from Amica Insurance. You can even get 35% off from Domino’s! You can read more and download the app here.
#6: Champion
Whether you’re a student athlete or just love Champion gear, you can qualify for a 10% student discount if you sign up on the Champion website. To qualify for the discount, you’ll need to verify your student ID through ID.me.
Once you’re signed up, you can use your discount on selected accessories, clothing and fan gear. You can read about it and claim your student discount here.
#7: Nike
Popular athletic brand Nike offers a 10% discount to students in high school, college and graduate school. To qualify, you’ll need to verify your student ID using SheerID, which you can do on the Nike website.
After your ID is verified, you will receive a single-use promo code for 10% off most purchases. You’ll need to sign in on the Nike website to claim the promo code. While the promo code may only be used once, students can claim a new promo code every 30 days. You can learn more on Nike’s website, here.
#8: Apple
If you’re never without your iPhone, we’ve got good news for you. Apple offers a student discount to anybody with a valid student ID. There’s no fixed amount for the discount, but 10% seems to be what you can expect to save on average.
Students can claim discounted prices on big ticket items such as iPads and MacBooks and on smaller items like accessories and premium apps. You’ll also get a free gift card when you sign up and, if you sign up for the Apple Music Student Plan, you’ll get AppleTV+ for free, so you can get your Ted Lasso fix. Click here to read about Apple’s Education program and sign up.
#9: AMC Theaters
Student movie buffs will be happy to hear that they can get a discount on movie tickets if they go to an AMC theater. While not all theaters offer discounts, many do – and you’re likely to find them if you go to school in a city with a lot of college students.
There’s no special program to sign up for with AMC. All you need to do is show your student ID at the box office to claim your discount. For your first visit, we recommend calling ahead to make sure the discount is available. You can learn more about the discounts here.
#10: Bed Bath and Beyond
Bed Bath and Beyond is a terrific place to shop for your dorm room essentials. You can buy bedding, towels and decor items. Best of all, they offer a generous discount with their College Pass for college students that you can use in their stores or online through September 30, 2022.
The discount offers students a whopping 20% off on everything they buy. In addition to the usual items, they also sell health & beauty products, appliances and more. You can read more about the program and sign up here.
#11: Adobe Creative Cloud
Whether you’re a graphic design student or you just want to make your class presentations look amazing. Adobe Creative Cloud has an array of tools that you can use. While the usual price might be a bit steep for college students, Adobe offers their tools at a generous student discount.
The price for non-students is $54.99 per month but students can claim an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for just $19.99 per month, a 60% discount. There’s a free trial if you want to try out the software before you subscribe. Get the details and sign up here.
How Do You Get a Student Discount?
We’ve listed 11 terrific student discounts here, but you should know that the ones we’ve provided are just the tip of the iceberg. Here are three sites where you can find information about dozens of other discounts and deals you can claim as a student:
- Novoresume
- DealHack
- RetailMeNot
When you get to campus, you may be greeted with welcome gifts that include products and information about local businesses that offer discounts to students. You should make note of these, so you can take advantage of them.
If you’re not sure whether a business provides a student discount, here are some tips to help you find out:
- Look for signs in the store or on a website. Most websites have a search function, so simply search ‘student discount’ and see what you can find.
- Keep in mind that even stores without a discount may offer low prices and deals that are aimed at students.
- You should know that Amazon and Target offer discounts while also setting aside special deals on things like school supplies, including everything from pens to computers.
- If you’re in a local store or restaurant and don’t see anything about a student discount, ask! You might find that they do offer a discount to students with a student ID, and sometimes that’s all you need.
- The same thing applies for entertainment. A lot of museums and local attractions offer discounted student tickets or admission. You should also keep in mind that libraries often have free tickets that you can use.
There are tons of ways to save money as a college student. Make sure to carry your student ID with you and ask if you don’t see a sign for a student discount.
Student discounts are everywhere and that means you don’t need to strain your student budget by overspending. The 11 discounts and tips we’ve included here can help you find the best discounts and get everything you need for the new school year.
Are you looking for a student account with features to help you manage your money? Addition Financial’s Aspire Checking account is what you need! Click here to learn more and sign up for an account today.