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SmartMoney
Published August 13, 2007  |  A A A
Deal of the Day by Kelli B. Grant (Author Archive)

Making the Most of Student Discounts

WHEN YOU'RE A COLLEGE student, getting carded is rarely considered a good thing. That is, unless the card they're asking for is your student ID.

Touting your student status can land you great deals on everything from laptops to cheap weekend getaways. Here are some tips on how to save during your college years:

Computers


Argue about the financial feasibility of a Nintendo Wii all you want, but buying a computer is a necessary budget-buster. The good news: Student discounts through major manufacturers can cut your purchase by up to 10%.

Apple Store for Education
Save 5% to 10% off desktop and laptop computers, iPods, software, and other electronics and accessories. For example, students pay $1,799 for a 15-inch MacBook Pro, instead of the regular $1,999 — a 10% savings.

Dell Higher Education
Save 2% to 7% off desktop and laptop computers, depending on the system. Tack on a protection plan, and your discount increases to 8% to 10%. Students pay $1,354 for a 15.4-inch Inspiron 1520 notebook with a three-year protection plan. Other consumers pay $1,466 for the same package. You'll save 8%.

HP Academic Purchase Program
Save up to 50% on desktop and laptop computers, printers and accessories. Students pay $608 for a Pavilion Slimline s3100y desktop, while everyone else pays $650. You'll save 6%.

Travel


Booking airfare for a spring break trip to Cancun? How about a bus ticket to head home for Thanksgiving break? Between student-specific fares and student discounts on regular tickets, you'll easily save at least 15% on nearly any mode of transportation you choose, says Anne Banas, executive editor for SmarterTravel.com. Flashing your student ID while booking a ticket at the bus depot can work wonders. Here are a couple of other tricks:

Join the club
It may cost money to join a student discount club, but the discounts these groups offer are worth the subscription fees.

International Student Travel Confederation. This international student identification card ($22.50 for one year) gets you discounts with more than 1,200 travel companies, including airlines, trains, buses and ferries. U.S. travelers can cut 15% off Amtrak, 5% to 15% off Alamo car rentals and 20% off Park 'N Fly services at airports nationwide.

Student Advantage. This U.S.-based discount program ($22.50 per year) comes with a variety of travel discounts, including 15% off fares at Greyhound and $75 off a flight and five-night hotel stay at any destination you choose through Cheaptickets.com.

Extra Credit
Got the smarts to land on the dean's list? Good student status has its own rewards:

Credit cards
The Citi mtvU Platinum Select Visa Card offers 250 to 2,000 bonus "ThankYou Points" per semester, based on your grades. An A average gets you the full 4,000-point annual bonus — enough for two CDs (say, Kanye West and Alicia Keys) or a $25 Barnes & Noble gift certificate.

Auto insurance
To insurers, good grades equate to responsibility, a key factor in assessing the risk of young drivers, says Carolyn Gorman, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute. Proof of a B average or better can net you a discount of up to 25%. (Allstate, for example, offers 15%, while State Farm knocks off up to 25%, depending on region.) That's assuming, of course, that road rules are one of the lessons you don't forget. "A ticket will immediately wipe out any kind of discount," says Gorman.

Rent
In college towns, it's not unheard of for landlords to offer good students a sweetened deal. Armed with a GPA of 3.0 or better, a Western Michigan University student can deduct $25 from his regular $330-a-month rent at the Kendall Manor Apartments. Students enrolled at California Polytechnic State University can save 5% — or $36 a month — on an annual lease at nearby Valencia Apartments.

Check student travel agencies
Chalk it up to increasingly stingy airlines: "Most student-specific airfares have gone by the wayside," says Banas. To find the stragglers, book through a travel site specializing in students. On Banas's short list are Student Universe, STA Travel and Travel Cuts. Hands off, parents: To book, you'll need a valid student ID and school email address.

Student Staples


A few dollars off on an extra-large pizza seems like small change — until you calculate the impact of those pepperoni pies on your wallet over four years of all-night study sessions. To avoid missing savings on everyday essentials, check these places for student discount cards:

School
Look to your campus's student life or alumni affairs office. The Johns Hopkins Alumni Association's Student Discount Card, for example, includes a 15% discount at trendy, Baltimore restaurant Mondo Bondo Italian Bistro and 10% off rates at the Quality Inn.

Local
Check in with your college town. Salisbury University students can access local deals from the Maryland city's chamber of commerce. Among them: $5 off a paintball session at Delmarva Paintball, buy-one-get-one-free pizzas from Papa John's, and a 15% tanning discount at All About Tan.

National
A Student Advantage membership not only offers travel deals, but also includes national, regional and local discounts. You'll get an extra 10% off at Target.com, for example, and up to 40% off movie tickets at the AMC Theatres chain. Also try: Student Savings Club.


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User Comments
Posted: 12:04 PM EST February 17, 2009
Posted by: bensk123
I too am a college student. I recommend getting a little creative with ways to save money - I registered for free at www.studentrate.com and receive discounts to local and national vendors. Even if it's just a few bucks off a meal, the savings add up. Check out this site and other discount websites. They are out there if you're willing to do a little homework.
Posted: 1:27 PM EST September 08, 2007
Posted by: stevof
As a college student, I can testify that it's easy to find little discounts that significantly decrease your cost of living expenses. As long as you don't unconsciously and unquestioningly pay full price everywhere you go, it's easy to get discounts on food, entertainment, and even books.
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