One of the great things about being a student is that you get plenty of discounts. Though a lot of student discounts come and go based on the whim of the retailer, many stores have established year-round student discount policies or even “student stores”. In addition to giving students a break, most of these stores will give the same discount to teachers, professors or other professional educators.
Even if a store isn’t on this list, as a rule of thumb it’s always a good idea to ask if they have a student discount. Even if they don’t publicize it, a lot of companies still offer something to students.
Following are some of our favorites because they offer good, quality products at a healthy discount. (Note: If you’re looking for the most up-to-date deals and discounts that aren’t year-round, check out LOZO’s Education Coupon page).
- Adobe: Up to 80% discounts on their software.
- Amazon Student: Amazon’s one of our regular favorites because they offer great prices on a variety of goods. Joining their Amazon Student program is free (as of August 2010). It gives you free two day shipping as well as access to exclusive deals & promos for students.
- Amtrak: Amtrak offers a 15% discount on tickets provided you have the Student Advantage Card. For full details about this card, see our listing below. In short, though, the cost for the card is $20 for a year-long membership which will give you discounts at Amtrak as well as numerous other companies.
- Apple: All you need to do is enter in your school and it automatically takes you through to their “Education Store” where prices are discounted accordingly.
- AT&T: The offer various discounts to student & faculty members of institutes that are part of their University Advantage Program. Enter your college or university email address to see if you’re eligible.
- Banana Republic: As a corporate policy, BR doesn’t have a student discount, but we’ve found that most stores will give you a 15% discount if you show your student ID.
- Barnes & Noble: Like a lot of retailers, Barnes & Noble offers a year round discount if you have the Student Advantage Card. For full details about this card, see our listing below. In
short, though, the cost for the card is $20 for a year-long membership
which will give you discounts at B&N as well as numerous other
companies. In addition, they often offer student sales and discounts throughout the year, in particular at the start of the school year and around the holidays. - Chegg: Chegg doesn’t offer a “student discount” per se, but their entire existence is based on giving students good prices on buying, renting, downloading and/or selling textbooks–and that’s why they’re on this list. As any student knows, you spend a fortune on books, so be sure to take advantage of this site for cheap textbooks! Check out our handy guide for more tips on how to save money on textbooks.
- Dell: Dell University–as they call it–offers ongoing deals, contests and more. Plus, just like Apple, you can enter in your school to see if you’re eligible for any additional savings.
- Greyhound: Greyhound is similar to Amtrak: they offer a 15% discount on tickets provided you have the Student Advantage Card. For full details about this card, see our listing below. In short, though, the cost for the card is $20 for a year-long membership which will give you discounts at Amtrak as well as numerous other companies.
- Hewlett Packard: You have to sign up with HP to get the student discount, but–if you plan on buying HP hardware–it’s worth it for the savings.
- J.Crew: Provided you show your student ID, J.Crew will give you a 15% discount. Note, the discount is only good on full-price merchandise and only in stores, not online (sorry!).
- Lenovo: They manufacture laptops, desktops and other related electronics. Their student discount is currently 5% off the regular price.
- Microsoft: Microsoft’s student-focused website gives the rundown on all the discounts and services they offer. In particular, we like their DreamSpark program which provides “professional tools at no charge”. After all, “no charge” is our favorite kind of charge, especially when it come to top notch software.
- Sony: They have a student store that’s currently offering 10% off VAIO laptops, desktops and digital voice recorders.
- STA Travel: Discount travel agency specifically for students.
- Student Advantage Card: This card is great because it’s inexpensive and gives you discounts at tons of popular stores ranging from travel, clothes, furniture and more. To name just a few: Aeropostale, AMC Theaters, Foot Locker, Orbitz, Target, Timberland, Verizon and the list goes on and on. It costs $20 for 1 year, $30 for 2, $40 for 3 or $50 for 4 years. A word of caution: only commit to as many years as you have left in school. Retailers can refuse to give you the discount if you don’t have a valid student ID.
- Student Universe: They offer discounts on travel, including airfare, trains and accommodations.
- Textbooks.com: Much like their competitor Chegg, Textbooks.com gives students great prices on buying, renting, downloading and/or selling textbooks. For more tips, check out our guide to saving money on textbooks.
- Tiger Direct: Tiger Direct specializes in offering computers and electronics at a discount, so you can rely on their student store for even better prices.
- Walmart: Walmart doesn’t offer a specific student discount, but they are currently running a store focused on low-priced items that a student may find useful.
We’ll be updating this list regularly, so be sure to check back. And, if you know of another great student store or ongoing discount that we haven’t listed–let us know!!