Unlocking Savings: A Comprehensive Guide to Student Discounts
Navigating the financial challenges of college life can be daunting. Tuition fees, books, and the general cost of living often leave students with limited financial flexibility. One effective strategy to alleviate this burden is leveraging student discounts. This article provides an extensive overview of student discounts available across various categories, empowering students to make the most of their budgets.
How to Qualify for Student Discounts
In the past, obtaining student discounts was less stringent. However, current verification processes are more robust. While some discounts extend to teachers, parents, or alumni, many rely on third-party services like UNiDAYS, ID.me, SheerID, and Student Beans. These platforms verify student status by requiring users to upload a photo of their school ID or other documentation. After successful verification, students gain access to exclusive deals and discounts through these shopping portals.
Tech Deals
For students in need of gadgets and tech accessories, numerous retailers offer enticing discounts.
Apple Education Store
The Apple Education Store provides approximately a 10 percent discount to students, parents, and teachers on Apple products. Special promotions, such as free AirPods with the purchase of a MacBook or a free Apple Pencil with an iPad, are often available, especially during the autumn season.
Dell
By signing up for a free Dell Rewards account and verifying student status, students can unlock savings on Dell products. Dell University discounts can sometimes be combined with other deals, maximizing savings potential. These discounts may be available to students, teachers, parents, and faculty.
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HP
HP offers eligible students, parents, and educators savings of up to 40 percent on select products.
Lenovo
Lenovo provides a consistent 5 percent discount to students and teachers, with occasional additional discounts and bonuses. Lenovo Education accounts are free and verified via ID.me, making them accessible to parents, students, and faculty.
Samsung
Samsung's program extends discounts of up to 30 percent on laptops, tablets, phones, and other gadgets to students and educators. Additional perks, such as increased storage or free accessories, are sometimes included with purchases.
Razer
Razer offers varying education deals on gaming laptops and PC components. Students, parents buying on behalf of students, and faculty are eligible. Discounts of 15 percent on peripherals and 5 percent on Razer gaming chairs are also available.
Verizon
Verizon offers discounted unlimited phone plans and Fios home internet to college students. Terms and conditions apply, so it’s worth investigating if you’re already a Verizon customer or are thinking about switching.
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Target
College students can get 20 percent off an entire qualifying shopping trip at Target. Students will need to join the free Target Circle program to redeem the offer. Students can also save 50 percent on the paid Circle 360 membership, which gets you free two-day shipping, early access to select sales, and more. These deals are generally valid from June through September.
Online Service Deals
Many online services offer student discounts, making everyday necessities more affordable.
Spotify Premium Student
Spotify Premium Student offers a 50 percent discount, costing only $6 per month. This subscription also includes access to Hulu, both with commercials. New subscribers may be eligible for a free six-month trial for a limited time.
Apple Music Student
Apple Music Student costs $6 per month after a one-month free trial. This subscription includes Apple TV+. Eligibility is verified through UNiDAYS.
Tidal
Students can enjoy a 50 percent discount on Tidal's premium music streaming membership through the Student plan. This offer is available to high school students aged 16 and up, as well as those in higher education.
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Amazon Prime for Young Adults
Amazon offers a special discount for its "Prime for Young Adults" membership, designed for adults aged 18 to 24. The membership costs $7.49 per month, a significant reduction from the standard $15 price. Prime Student includes perks like free Grubhub Student+ access and discounted meditation app memberships. A free six-month trial may also be available.
Hulu
Students can subscribe to the ad-supported Hulu plan for $2 per month, compared to the regular price of $8.
YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium costs $8 per month for students after a free three-month trial, a discount from the standard $14 per month. The membership includes ad-free access to YouTube videos and YouTube Music.
Peacock Premium
Peacock Premium is available to students and young adults for $3 per month for a year, a discount from the usual $6 per month.
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
YNAB is a budgeting service recommended by financial experts. This deal is limited to college students.
Ableton Live
Eligible students, parents, and educators receive a 50 percent discount on Ableton Live or Live bundled with Push.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Firefly, Acrobat Pro, and Lightroom, is available to students and educators for $30 per month, compared to the regular price of $70 per month. After the first year, the price increases to $40 per month.
Apple Pro Apps Bundle for Education
This bundle includes licenses for Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, and more, tailored to video and music creators. It costs $200.
Dashlane
Dashlane is a password manager.
GitHub Student Developer Pack
This pack offers free and discounted apps, services, software downloads, and other developer tools. It includes a free year-long domain on Namecheap, free courses on Educative, waived Stripe transaction fees, and access to GitHub Pro.
Ulysses
Ulysses is writing software exclusive to Apple devices. It typically costs $40 per year. The subscription ends automatically, but it can be renewed as long as the user remains a student.
Evernote
Evernote is a note-taking app.
Notion
Notion is similar to Evernote and Google Keep. The Plus Plan for education is free for students and educators.
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is worth checking out if you insist on writing essays in Word.
Prezi
Prezi offers tools for digital presentations and integrates with Zoom and Google Meet. The service has two educational premium plans for students and educators that cost $4 or $8 per month.
Babbel
Babbel is a language-learning app.
Deals on Clothing, Magazines, Food, and More
Beyond tech and online services, many retailers and other businesses offer student discounts.
Magazine and Newspaper Subscriptions
Students can access affordable subscriptions to various publications, including WIRED, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Bloomberg. Discounted or free subscriptions may also be available through libraries.
Movie Theaters
Students can get cheaper prices by bringing their student ID to the box office. Discounts vary by location.
UNiDAYS
UNiDAYS is a platform for finding fashion retailers that have student discounts.
Nike
Nike offers students 10 percent off most items, verified through SheerID. This offer is valid for high school, college, and university students.
Amtrak
Amtrak provides a national discount to students between 17 and 24 years old.
Papier
Papier offers paper planners. Student status is verified through ID.me at checkout.
DashPass
DashPass costs $5 per month or $48 per year for students. DashPass gets you free delivery on most orders over $12, plus special discounts and promotions.
UNiDAYS: Your Gateway to Student Savings
UNiDAYS is a digital platform offering exclusive student deals and benefits to its registered user base of over 29 million students. It works to secure the best student discounts from popular brands.
Benefits of UNiDAYS Membership
As a UNiDAYS member, students can save, learn, and earn through a network of partners. Registration is free and takes only a few minutes. Students can sign up with their personal email address, verify their student status, and activate 12 months of UNiDAYS student deals.
Eligibility
UNiDAYS welcomes all students who are currently studying at an offered institution or hold a valid student card.
Verification Process
UNiDAYS offers near-instant automatic verification through most approved institutions. If automatic verification is unavailable, student status can be verified using a physical student card issued by the school, college, or university, which may take up to 7 days during busy periods.
UNiDAYS as a Student ID
UNiDAYS is an acceptable student ID for accessing deals and discounts from its partners.
