INDIANAPOLIS — College students are heading to campus, some for the first time, and deciding what they will need to live, eat and study for the upcoming semester. They will find that college is expensive, but Cherie Lowe, the Queen of Free, said on 13Sunrise this week that there are ways to save money with discounts that come with just a student ID card.
Educational discounts
The Queen's blog lists a variety of discounts available to students on Apple products and other technology and streaming. In addition, she recommends checking for college student rates on travel and car rentals, cable and internet discounts and movies.
"All off the discounts above will either require a student ID or an .edu e-mail address," said Lowe.
Look here for more discounts.
Coordinate with your roomie
"If you plan on rooming with another student this fall," Lowe recommends that you "avoid the spending trap of duplicating the purchase of household goods." You don't need two of everything taking up the small space of a dorm room, so make sure you coordinate who is going to bring the items you can share. "For example, one student can purchase a small refrigerator and another a futon," she said. "Or one can bring a coffee pot while another (brings) a microwave."
Jobs and scholarships
An on-campus job can supplement college costs and provide some spending money. Working in food service or in the library could fit your schedule and help pay bills.
Some academic departments offer scholarship opportunities as students progress, so Lowe recommends contacting your advisor to see if you can apply for more money.
What not to do
"You don’t want to buy more than you can stuff into the space," Lowe said, so check the school website for dorm room dimensions before you purchase something that's not going to fit.
Avoid full price textbook fees by buying used or renting through online sites like Amazon, Chegg.com, or BigWords.com.
Watch Cherie's full Sunrise segment in the video player.