Unless you’ve been living under a rock for duration of your college years, then you are probably aware that your student ID is more than just an unofficial proof of identity and meal swipe/building access card. It can also you score you some pretty substantial discounts. America loves its students. There are plenty of U.S. retailers and restaurants (as well as international companies) willing to offer a discount to those who are applying themselves to obtain a higher education degree and may not have a lot of disposable income yet as a result. In fact, there are hundreds- way too many to list! So here I offer you a brief listing of some of the best, most practical student discounts you can find. Take advantage of these great discounts while you still can and if you’re ever unsure whether or not a place offers a student discount, just ask!
Newspapers
If you want to be worldly and up-to-date with current events as a student, major national newspapers make it easy for you with majorly marked-down subscriptions. Take advantage of these great opportunities while you can, as The Wall Street Journal offers subscriptions to college students for just $1 a week and The New York Times offers a 50% discount.
Entertainment
A lot of entertainment providers offer student discounts because they know that students make up their top customer base! Don’t forget to use your student ID when you go to the movies, because most theater chains, including Regal, AMC, and Cinemark, offer discounted tickets to students, which vary by location. Many museums also offer student discounts, and if you want to jam out to your favorite tunes for cheap while completing your assignments, Spotify Premium and Apple Music both offer subscriptions to students for just $5 a month. If you’re a sports fan, you’re also in luck- in addition to the obvious discounts you’ll receive to your own college’s sporting events, many NHL and major league baseball teams offer student pricing.
Food
A lot of restaurants and fast food locations offer student discounts but don’t advertise them, so it’s worth checking wherever you are. Keep in mind that discounts may vary by location, but some restaurants known to offer student discounts include Buffalo Wild Wings, Dairy Queen, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, McDonald’s, Subway, and Pizza Hut. Some offer a percentage off your order, while other offer freebies like a free drink with purchase.
Books
In most cases, unless it’s your only option, purchasing your textbooks from your college bookstore is not the best way to go. You can often find much better deals online, with Amazon claiming savings of up to 90% on new, used, digital, and rental textbooks. Amazon Prime Student offers Prime to students free for six months, and after that, it’s just $49 a month (versus the full price of $99). Amazon also offers a $10 referral bonus for each friend you get to sign up. Another discount option for textbooks is Barnes & Noble- while the retailer does not offer a specific student discount, they offer deals of up to 50% off on textbook rentals.
Technology
Purchasing a laptop is one of the most expensive investments for a college student, but luckily many tech providers are willing to cut students a break. Apple offers one of the best student discounts out there, with savings of up to $200 off a new computer. They also sometimes run back-to-school deals, such as free headphones with a laptop purchase. Adobe offers its Creative Cloud of software applications to students and teachers for 60% off. Other discounts include 20% off Dell PCs and 10% off at Microsoft.
Clothing
There are a plethora of clothing retailers offering students discounts, so when you go to do your back to school shopping, be sure to check if your favorite brands offer online and/or in-store discounts. Some of the ones that do include Forever 21 (online), Asos (online), J. Crew (in-store), Banana Republic (in-store), Levi’s (online and in-store) and Express (online and in-store).
Insurance
When it comes to car insurance, it really pays to work hard and achieve good grades. Many insurance providers, including Geico, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Esurance offer a discount to students that maintain a certain grade point average. Allstate offers a savings of up to 25% for all full-time students under the age of 25.
Travel/transportation
Some students have to travel great lengths to get from home to their college or university, and traveling long distances, whether it’s by plane, train, or car, doesn’t usually come cheap. Student discounts can help, however. Many local public transportation systems offer student passes, Amtrak offers a Student Advantage Discount Card that can get students 10% off on tickets and bonus points on travel, and the Greyhound Student Advantage Discount Card saves students 20% on bus fares. If you need overnight lodging at any point in your duration as a student, look into Choice Hotels, which offers 15% off at participating hotels through its Student Advantage Card.