There’s bunch of free stuff for students available on every college campus that many students either ignore or don’t know about. The student freebies in the following list are exclusive to college kids. If used properly, they can mean hundreds of dollars saved each year.
1. Amazon Prime Student
Most people shop on Amazon from time to time, so I’m sure you’ve heard of Amazon Prime. The service provides benefits like free two-day shipping, television streaming, a free Audible subscription for e-reading, and more.
College students can enjoy all the benefits of Amazon Prime Student for free for six months.
Then, they can continue using the service with a 50 percent discount from the normal price of $99 per year.
2. Microsoft Office
While Google Docs have become super popular, having Microsoft Office during college is still crucial for typing papers. Students can usually get Microsoft Office at a discounted rate, and sometimes you can even score it for free.
3 Checking Account
You should never pay to open a checking account in the first place, but some banks have horrendous monthly fees that just waste your money. Check to see if your school has partnered with a bank to offer their services on campus. At my old university, we could open a checking and savings account on campus for free with no monthly maintenance fees.
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4. Fitness Center
Don’t put your health on the back burner during college. If your school has a fitness center on campus, odds are that you can use the facility for free as long as you’re currently enrolled in classes.
5. Nutritional Services
This is a service you may not even know about on campus. A lot of schools – like the University of Florida and Eastern Michigan University – offer free fitness and wellness coaching to help students learn how to eat properly, regardless of their budget or hectic schedule.
Through nutritional services, students can establish a daily meal plan and receive grocery shopping tips, a guide to dining out, a health assessment, and more. My university in Illinois offered this service on campus. I took advantage of it and created a meal plan with my coach to help me embrace a healthier diet.
6. Peer Mentoring and Tutoring
If you’re a transfer student or a freshman, peer mentoring can really help you adjust to campus life and learn more about what your school has to offer.
If you’re struggling in a subject, there may also be free tutoring help that you can take advantage of on campus. Trained peer tutors are great because not only do they know the material that you’re struggling with, but they may also be aware of your teacher’s curriculum and certain techniques to help you study.
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7. Counseling
Counseling can be expensive when you use a private practice. So if your school offers free services by licensed therapists, take them up on it.
Even if you don’t feel that you need counseling, sometimes it helps to talk to someone about life and your mental health.
Some schools may offer free relationship or family counseling sessions, as well.
8. Legal Assistance
Some colleges like Northern Illinois University and Texas A&M University have a legal service team conveniently located on campus. Campus legal services provide tons of information and advice to students who might not otherwise be able to receive such insight.
Assistance can include advice, consultation, legal advocacy, and – in some cases – court representation. As a student, it’s nice to know you have this service right at your fingertips because it could come in quite handy if you need your lease terms examined or could use help dissecting a traffic violation, for example.
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9. Food
As a student, you may receive tons of discounts when you eat out at local restaurants. But don’t forget about the opportunity to score free food right on campus.
Sometimes campus service departments and student groups post flyers for events that they’re hosting. These events often offer free food. If you’re involved in an organization or curious about one, you might as well check out the events and enjoy some free food.
In college, I attended a lot of lunch meetings and workshops, as well as events led by student organizations. As a result, I ate for free at least once a week.
How to Find These Student Freebies
Financial stress is one of the most common reasons why students drop out of college and fail to continue their education.
Examining your resources and taking advantage of these student freebies can help you seriously lower your expenses.
This way, you won’t have to worry about money as much.
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So how do you find all this free stuff for students? Start by checking with your college. Ask your advisor, peer mentor, and student life center. Ask friends and classmates about various services, and feel free to poke around on your college’s website for more information.
The worst thing you can do is let a free service go to waste. You’ll only be in college for a few years, so you might as well milk it.
