The yearly frenzy over Prime Day got us thinking: What discounts can you get just for being a college student, or even a recent graduate, with a .edu email address?
The answer? So, so many. Here is your definitive guide to the most useful discounts available to anyone who has a student email or even a valid student ID.
Amazon
Textbooks. Groceries. Clothes. Toilet paper. Amazon has it all, and clearly wants college students to order it all as often as possible: The company offers a free six-month membership to Prime Student to anyone with an active .edu email.
The program is similar to the standard Prime membership: Free two-day shipping, access to Prime Video streaming, unlimited photo storage with Prime Photos and special student discounts.
When your six months are up, Amazon will prompt you to rejoin the Prime service at a discount: $49 for a year, a whopping 50% off the standard price. Paying for the full Prime service will get you additional perks, including access to the Kindle library.
While the offers target current students, they are available to anyone with a valid .edu email. If you graduated in May and don’t want to pay for that two-day shipping, don’t feel guilty about signing up now.
Spotify
Spotify ads are a special type of terrible, interrupting your jam sessions mid-song and taking you out of the moment. Spotify Premium, the music streaming service’s ad-free option, comes as a relief. And for college students, the bill doesn’t have to break the bank.
Spotify Premium’s student discount cuts the standard rate in half: $4.99 per month instead of $9.99. It’s not as easy to get around the application process if you’re not a current student: the application process requires you to submit a recent transcript showing that you are currently attending school.
The discount is active for 12 months after you apply, and Spotify checks your eligibility each academic year. A public service announcement to incoming freshmen: sign up now so you can take advantage of the deal for all four years.
Microsoft Office - (Note: Penn State offers Microsoft Office to students at no charge. Visit http://software.psu.edu/all-products/browse/keyword/student for more information.)
Many college students use Google Docs to complete group projects and share different class resources. But that doesn’t mean Microsoft Office has lost its value, and its free services for college students shouldn’t go unnoticed. Students can get access to Office 365 — which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote — for free with a valid student email address.
And it’s no only a trial — once you download the programs, they are yours to keep. In addition, Microsoft offers a 10% discount on Windows devices for students.
Apple
Not to be outdone by Microsoft, Apple also offers substantial student discounts on its products and services. Apple Music is available for a discounted rate of $4.99 per month, and the Apple Store for Education offers deals on new Macs and iPads. Good news for your parents: the discounted prices are available to them as well as faculty members.
The Washington Post
It’s a hectic world, and it is more important now than ever for college students to keep up with current events. The Washington Post offers a free subscription to anyone with a valid .edu email address — that means you too, new alumni. The offer is also valid for members of the military and government officials. Once you’ve verified your email, you will have access to the Post‘s content on all platforms.
The New York Times
The Times offers a discounted rate for college students. Instead of paying the standard $3.75 per week for digital access, students pay $1, totaling up to $4 per month and $48 for a year of access to the Times. With a valid school email address, you can also get discounted rates on a print subscription or more premium digital content.
Adobe
If you’re pursuing a career in graphic design or just want to know your way around Photoshop, Adobe is making it easier to get your hands on their Creative Cloud. For $9.99/month, students can get access to Lightroom and Photoshop. If you’re a real pro, you can pay $19.99/month for access to Adobe’s 20-plus apps. That price might sound steep, but the standard rate for access to all of Adobe’s apps is $49.99/month. If the price still sounds too high, check to see which computers at your university have the Creative Cloud loaded — most media labs offer the apps you need.
Squarespace
If you want to create a personal website or online portfolio, you want it to look professional, sleek and clean. And if you’re a student with a busy lifestyle, you also want it to be easy. Website builder Squarespace, whose ads are featured on basically every podcast in existence, offers students 50% off their first year of service if your university is enrolled with their education program. A normal subscription costs about $144 a year, so take advantage of the discount while you still can (especially if you’re looking for your first post-grad job).
Amtrak
With over 30 train routes reaching 46 states, Amtrak is often the go-to transportation for college students who want to visit family and friends during breaks from classes.
Fortunately, Amtrak offers a discount to help you offset some of those travel costs. Students ages 13-25 can save 15% on each Amtrak trip with a valid student ID. There’s one catch: the offer is only valid if you book your travel at least three days in advance. As long as you plan ahead, this discount will help you save money each and every time you step on the train.
There are, of course, more student discounts out there, including offers at cell phone companies like AT&T. And, of course, that’s not even considering the local establishments offering student discounts across the country. If you see any particularly amazing offers missing from the list, let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
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