Good news! While you’re busy studying for your college classes, you can snag some excellent freebies (and some great student discounts!) from companies and organizations around the United States. It’s no secret that college students are notoriously broke… but now there’s help!
Food
Rumor has it that you can score student discounts from Arby’s, Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, Dairy Queen, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Qdoba, Subway and Waffle House. However, I wasn’t able to verify these discounts because they (allegedly) vary by location.
My suggestion? Keep your student ID in your wallet and always ask if you can get a student discount (especially if you live near a major college or university)! No harm in asking, right?!
Use the Pocket Points app to earn free food!
If you install the Pocket Points app and then don’t check your phone during class, you can earn points that can be redeemed at participating restaurants! The app uses location services to verify that you’re in a classroom – and it rewards you for paying attention and not using your phone during class. You can also get bonuses for referrals! Check it out here.
Use the FREE Stuff Finder to find events on campus!
The Free Food Finder website locates restaurants on and around campus that are offering free food. Click here to go to the Free Stuff Finder website!
Free Fun
Visit museums, zoos and other cultural attractions for free!
Many museums, zoos, arenas, concert halls and events offer free or seriously discounted admission for students. If there’s a place you’ve been wanting to go, look into student pricing. You might be surprised!
There are way too many offers to include in a nationwide post like this, but if you’re interested in a more detailed list for your local area just leave a comment below and I’ll see what I can do. 🙂
Get discounted tickets to movie theaters!
Amazing student discounts are available from Marcus Theaters and Cinemark Theaters. Marcus Theaters, which are located in the Midwest, invite students and faculty to $6 movies on Thursdays – and they even include 46 ounce popcorn! There may be an extra showing for 3D and other extras. Cinemark’s student discounts vary by location, but you can find a list of participating locations at this link.
Free Software
Adobe Creative Cloud – HUGE Student Discounts
College students can save over 60% on their Adobe Creative Cloud subscription! It’s just $20 per month for the first year and $30 per month after that! That’s a huge savings off the standard price.
AutoCAD and other Autodesk software is FREE for students!
Autodesk seeks to inspire would-be designers, digital artists and engineers by providing them with the tools required to learn their craft. Students, teachers and academic institutions can obtain free licenses to over 100 different pieces of Autodesk software!
JetBrains has a free all products pack for students.
If you’ve got an .edu email address, you can download the award-winning All Products Pack of developer tools from JetBrains! Click here to see what’s included.
Microsoft has free software for students, too!
All students can acquire OneNote and Imagine software (for coding) for free. However, students who attend qualifying institutions can download the Microsoft Office suite for free! Check it out on their student portal.
On the Hub is the free and discount software directory you’ve been waiting for.
If you want free software and you don’t want to have to visit 100 different websites to find it, you’ll love On the Hub. It collects information about all the software students can get for free! Visit their website and find more free software!
You Need a Budget! And now you can figure one out for free!
Students can get free access to the You Need a Budget financial software. Just click the link for more information!
Free Memberships
Get a free 6 month trial of Amazon Prime!
In addition to unlimited, free two-day shipping, you’ll also enjoy access to Amazon’s Instant Video streaming service. Prime members also get a free Audible download, access to a Kindle lending library, photo storage and more.
If you don’t cancel within the six month trial period, you’ll be billed just $49 per year to continue the service. That’s 50% off the normal rate! This is my absolute favorite student discount. Click here to sign up on the Amazon website!
Try Apple Music for almost 50% off!
Interested in the Apple Music subscription service? Students pay just $4.99 instead of $9.99 for up to four years! Please note that the service will periodically verify your enrollment and you may be kicked off the student discount program if they discover you aren’t currently enrolled.
Join a professional organization for free (or cheap)!
Students can join professional organizations for free or cheap! Some of the participating associations include the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Planning Association, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Free and Discounted Digital Subscriptions
Get free digital access to the National Review!
Enter your valid .edu email address to receive 12 months of free access to National Review. Your subscription can be renewed at the end of 12 months, as long as you still have access to your .edu email.
Get $1 digital access to the Washington Post!
Newspapers are a dying breed. To keep revenues up, the Washington Post has instituted a paywall that prevents non-paid users from reading more than 20 articles per month. Fortunately, students get unlimited access to the Washington Post for just $1/4 weeks! That’s a $9/month savings!
Get free checking accounts from major nationwide banks!
Nobody wants to pay a monthly fee for their bank account. Students can get free checking accounts from US Bank, Bank of America and Chase.
What are your favorite student discounts?
Did we miss any?
Let us know in the comments!
Nicole Thelin
Have too much month at the end of your money? Me too - and that's how Low Income Relief got started. I have over 20 years of professional research and writing experience. Over the years, I've worked as a novelist, journalist, ghostwriter and content creator. My work has been featured in various print and online publications, including USA Today, eHow.com, Livestrong.com, Legal Beagle, The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah), The Chronicle (Centralia, WA) and others. At Low Income Relief, I use my professional research and reporting experience to help low income families save money and make ends meet. It's been my full-time job since 2016, and it's truly an honor to serve you.
Tauri Brianna Welch
Tuesday 18th of May 2021
I’m a mother of 4, and live in southern oregon… any ideas on what there is for us to do?? Any cool (and possibly FREE) stuff??? Thank you
Hannah Benge
Tuesday 25th of May 2021
This is everything we have for Oregon https://lowincomerelief.com/?s=Oregon. Some of them only apply if you have EBT and things like that so, I'm going to just give you the full list! -Hannah
Hilary
Tuesday 22nd of September 2020
YouTube premium offers a nice discount for students
Tiffany
Saturday 28th of July 2018
Is there any place to get some discounted laptops for low income families in Michigan? I've looked but didn't really come up with anything concrete. My daughter is really going to need one for the fall
Nicole Thelin
Monday 30th of July 2018
Hey, Tiffany! That's a great question. I haven't had the chance to check Michigan specifically yet but here's everything I know about discounted computers, laptops and tablets so far -> https://lowincomerelief.com/best-places-buy-cheap-laptop/
Patricia Barbee
Sunday 10th of June 2018
I have four children and I'm a full time student. Is their any free or low cost activities like museums, zoo etc in NE? Thank you.
Nicole
Monday 11th of June 2018
Hi, Patricia! We haven't had a lot of requests for info in Nebraska yet, so our content is kinda limited. We've found some places that offer discounts and free admission for people with NE food stamps, but I'll see what else we can find. I've added this to our research list and hopefully we'll be able to find more information. :)
Heather Mclean
Friday 1st of June 2018
im interested in student discounts in my area for museums, events, and attractions in CT
Nicole
Monday 4th of June 2018
Hey, Heather! I've passed that request onto our research team. We'll see what we can find!