Free Stuff for College Students
It is easy to feel poor during your college years. After you pay for tuition, books, and meals you may be wondering how you’re supposed to have any sort of fun. Well, not too long ago I was that poor college student, so I can definitely empathize which is why I have compiled a list of my favorite free stuff for college students.
When I was in college I rarely went out to eat or got carry out. Occasionally, on a Friday or Saturday night, I would treat myself but only if I had a coupon. My college’s student saver magazine would offer valuable coupons like buy 1 get 1 free offers. To score cheap or free food, I recommend you snatch up one of those coupons, grab a friend, and take turns paying when you go out to eat with your coupon. Otherwise, if you can find a coupon, you can always use it for yourself and keep the second meal for another day.
Looking to rock out to new tunes, but don’t have the cash to download the latest hits? Did you know you can download free music from Amazon.com or Google Play? Yep, you can head over to Amazon.com to download free MP3s in nearly every music category including alternative rock, blues, country, pop, R&B and jazz. Plus every weekday Google Play offers a free song of the day.
Amazon offers even more free stuff for college students (or anyone for that matter) :-). They provide lots of free apps and eBooks. If you are an Android user, you can head over here to check out all the free apps currently available. In addition, everyday, Amazon offers a free Android app of the day.
If you are looking for some new reading material, check out all the free eBooks on Amazon.com. Don’t worry if you don’t own a Kindle, there are free Kindle reading apps available that allow you to enjoy these eBooks on your mobile phone, computer or tablet.
As if Amazon was not already super generous with all these freebies, through their Amazon Student program they are offering a free 6 month membership to Amazon Prime ($39 value). If you decide to join Amazon Prime after your free trial expires, you can snag 50% off the typical membership yearly rate of $79 and gain access to unlimited instant streaming of 40,000 movies and TV episodes and borrow free Kindle books.
I know, you may be thinking, all this free stuff for college students is nice, but help me score some cold, hard cash. As someone who used a variety of methods to fund her own college (scholarships, grants, loans, savings), I understand the financial demands on college students. I encourage you to explore all funding options especially those that will provide you with free money (i.e. scholarships and grants). Will your grades qualify you for an academic scholarship at your college or university? Do not simply assume the answer is “no.” There are often several factors considered when scholarships are awarded and grades is only one variable. Check with your college’s financial aid office to learn more.
Another great resource for scholarships and grants is the Federal Student Aid website. This site offers information about free money for college students such as the type of aid available, who receives it and how to apply. To learn more about the financial aid process, check out my article, FAFSA: Make College a Reality.
Does all this free stuff for college students now make you feel rich? Yeah, I thought not, but hopefully this article brought to your attention at least a few new freebies you were not previously aware of to help make being a broke college student more bearable.
