100 Best Freebies & Discounts for College Students (2024)

Free College Textbooks

Okay, so when you’re in college aside from the cost of tuition and well, eating, the biggest hit to your budget is going to come from textbooks. Even with all the available deals and discounts for college students, you still end up spending a lot of money.

Fortunately, you can get textbooks for free online!

Of course, if you need a really up-to-date version of a textbook because you’re studying a subject like law, for example, then getting your textbooks online may not work for you – otherwise, it offers students a way to get their hands on textbooks at no cost!

There are lots of sites for finding college textbooks for free.

Here are some of the best sites for free college textbooks.

1. OpenStax

OpenStax is a nonprofit educational initiative based at Rice University. It provides high-quality, peer-reviewed, openly licensed college textbooks that you can read for free!

Yes, all you need is your phone, tablet or computer. The initiative offers a really awesome collection – in fact, its textbooks are used in 40% of colleges and universities across the country.

2. AACC Bookstore

You can get digital textbooks at no cost from the AACC Bookstore.

3. Textbook Revolution

Textbook Revolutions provides PDF versions of textbooks in a wide range of subjects from Mathematics and Physics to Health Sciences & Medical.

4. Bookboon

Bookboon offers a selection of textbooks that are written by professors from the world’s best universities. You can find awesome books there, across a wide range of subjects.

5. U.S.History.org

U.S.History.org provides free history textbooks, with a focus on Pre-Columbian and New Millennium history.

6. Open Textbook Library

The Open Textbook Library features textbooks in PDF format that you can also print out.

There are books available in a wide selection of subjects – so you’re sure to find a book you need. The site’s textbooks are totally free, which is great!

7. California Open Online Library for Education

The California Open Online Library for Education provides free and open digital textbooks in a wide range of subjects, like Art, Business, and Education.

8. American Institute of Mathematics Open Textbook Initiative

The American Institute of Mathematics Open Textbook Initiative is awesome if you’re looking for free math textbooks.

On there, you can find textbooks on a plethora of different subjects, from Abstract Algebra to Mathematical Computing.

There’s also a section for Approved Textbooks that includes textbooks that have been judged to meet the evaluation criteria set by the AIM editorial board.

9. Open Textbooks Grand Valley State University

Get a wide selection of open textbooks that you can read for free from Grand Valley State University.

10. The Assayer

Check out The Assayer if you want math, science, and computer textbooks. The website provides a great selection of free textbooks on those subjects. Textbooks on other subjects, like Political Science, Philosophy, and Law are also available.

11. Merlot

For a great selection of college textbooks that you don’t have to pay for, check out Merlot.

This website provides a collection of more than 6,600 textbooks! So you’re sure to find the book you need in the website’s collection.

Other curated online learnings and support materials are also available from Merlot. Overall, it’s a great platform for college students who want free textbooks and other learning materials.

12. Open SUNY Textbooks

Find a wide range of open textbooks at SUNY.

All of the site’s materials are in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that allows it to be repurposed by others.

13. E-Books Directory

The E-Books Directory provides free digital textbooks. There are more than 10,000 books available across more than 700 categories!

There are also free lecture notes and documents available on the site.

14. FreeBooks4Doctors

Check out FreeBooks4Doctors for a selection of free medical textbooks. The website provides textbooks on subjects, such as dermatology, anatomy, and pharmacology.

15. OER Commons

OER Commons offers free openly licensed textbooks and supplementary resources. It offers an awesome digital library, so it’s worth browsing the collection to see if there’s a textbook available that you need.

16. The Orange Grove

Get free textbooks from Florida’s Open College Education Resource, The Orange Grove.

Free Software and Tech

In this section, I’ll list places where students can get free software and tech, including a free laptop!

17. Computers with Causes

Computers with Causes provides refurbished computers to people in need, including students! Just visit the website to see if you’re eligible for a free laptop and to learn more about how to apply for one.

18. Windows 10 Education

Windows can be pretty pricey. Fortunately, students can get Windows 10 Education for free! With it, you can work, play games, and keep your computer protected thanks to its built-in security features and ongoing security updates.

19. Atlassian

Atlassian is a software company that develops products for software development, project management, and content management.

The company’s server software products and Atlassian-made apps are free for use by students in a classroom setting.

20. Axure RP

Axure RP is another company offering its software to students for free. It says its software offers “the most powerful way to plan, prototype, and hand off to developers, all without code.”

21. LastPass

LastPass is a password manager. It helps you to generate and store passwords and sync data across all your browsers and machines. Students with a valid .edu email address can get it for free for six months.

22. JetBrains

JetBrains provides software tools targeted at software developers and project managers. It specializes in the creation of intelligent development tools.

Students can learn or teach coding with the company’s development tools at no cost. JetBrains offers free individual licenses for students. This gives you free access to all of JetBrains’ IDEs for personal use at school or at home.

23. MSC Software

MSC Software specializes in simulation software and services. Students can download the company’s software products for free.

24. Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft offers a ton of free tools together in one place for students and teachers.

This allows you to use technology to make homework more fun and successful.

Students and teachers are eligible for Office 365 Education free! It normally costs $69.99/year.

That includes

• Word
• Excel
• PowerPoint
• OneNote
• Microsoft Teams

Additional classroom tools like student resources and Office training are also free.

It also comes with free unlimited personal cloud storage!

You may be able to install the full Office applications on up to five PCs or Macs for free.

You’ll see the Install Office button on your Office 365 homepage after signing up if your school provides this benefit.

25. Microsoft Imagine

Developing is just too useful to not to add to your resume.

Create, code and develop your ideas with the Microsoft Imagine suite.

And, do it at no cost! Microsoft offers free access and long trial periods for students.

Students can create a Microsoft Imaging account to download these software and development tools at no cost:

• Microsoft Azure for Students Starter (Free cloud services): Develop in the cloud at no cost.
• Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition (Free three-month trial): Powerful virtualization solution.
• SQL Server 2017 Developer Edition ( SQL database solution): Comprehensive datacenter capabilities for critical workloads.
• Visual Studio Code (Modern lightweight code editor): Free, powerful code editor for Linux, MacOS and Windows.
• Visual Studio Community 2017 (Productivity for any platform): Free, fully-featured and extensible.
• Visual Studio for Mac (Fully-featured, extensible IDE): Everything you need for mobile, cloud and Mac development.
• PHP Tools for Visual Studio (Plug-in for Visual Studio): Provides smart code completion, quick navigation, syntax error and much more.
• Windows Store (Free developer account): Publish your apps on the Store for free with a special student registration code.
• Xamarin Studio Community Edition (Cross-platform framework): Use C# to code and deploy Android, iOS and Windows apps.

Microsoft Imagine also features tutorials, services and operating systems.

26. Autodesk

If you need software for engineering, architecture, animation and design, try Autodesk.

It features Fusion 360 – a free 3D CAD/CAM design software for students, educators and academic institutions.

As a student, you can get a free three-year license. This is some serious savings!

For example, the following CAD design software is listed with costs, and you can get them all for free!

• Inventor Professional – $1,935.00/year
• Autocad – $390.00/year
• Maya – $1,505.00/year
• Revite – $420.00/year
• 3DS Max – $1,505.00/year
• Fusion 360 – $310.00/year

And, that is just the tip of the iceberg. There are approximately 60 items listed under the Free software tab of the website.

Downloading the software is easy:

• Select your chosen product from the free software list
• Use your .edu email address to create an account
• Select the version, operating system and language
• Install

27. Intel Developer Zone

Intel supports the next generation by giving students free access to the select software development products.

All products include user support.

Whether full or part-time, your school email address is all you need to get the following software for free:

• Intel Parallel Studio XE – Simplify the creation and modernization of code
• Intel Distribution for Python – Access accelerated Python packages
• Intel System Studio – Build and perform system-wide optimization and analyze code

28. PTC

PTC helps companies design, manufacture, operate and service products.

It also gives free engineering software to students, including

• Creo for product design
• Mathcad for engineering calculations
• Vuforia for augmented reality
• ThingWorx for IoT platform

29. Github

Github offers the best developer tools in one place free for students so they can learn by doing.

Github’s free Student Developer Pack features tons of resources to learn pro tricks without paying a dime.

The free tools are

• AWS Educate – Access to the AWS cloud, training and resources
  • Benefit GitHub Student Developer Pack members receive up to $110 in bonus AWS credits for a total of $75-$150
• Bitnami – Install cloud applications in a single click
  • Normally $49/month, free for one year
• Cart – Spatial data analysis, visualization and application creation
  • Free account upgrades and premium features for two years
• CrowdFlower – Crowdsourcing and data enrichment platform
• Datadog – Cloud-based infrastructure monitoring
  • Includes 10 servers free for two years.
• DigitalOcean – Simple cloud hosting, built for developers
  • $50 in platform credit
• Flatiron School – Learn web development
  • Free one-month membership ($149 value) to online web development course
• GitHub – Powerful collaboration, code review and code management
  • Unlimited private repositories (normally $7/month)
• GitKraken – Git client for Windows, Mac and Linux
  • Pro account free for one year (normally $60/year)
• HackHands – Live programming help available 24/7
  • $25 in platform credit
• Namecheap – Registration, hosting, and domain management
  • One-year SSL certificate (normally $9/year)
  • One-year domain name registration (normally $18.99/year)
• SendGrid – Email infrastructure service
  • 15K free emails/month (normally limited to 200 free emails/day)
• Sentry – Track errors in every language, framework and library
  • 500,000 events/month with unlimited projects and members
• Stripe – Web and mobile payments, built for developers
  • Waived transaction fees on first $1000 in revenue processed
• Taplytics – Dynamic A/B testing, smart push notifications and custom analytics for native mobile apps
  • Complete access to the suite of tools for native mobile apps
  • Unlimited access to the platform free for 6 months
• Thinkful – Learn Fundamentals of Web Development
  • One month of access to a web development course
  • Online office hours with experienced developers
• Transifex – Localization platform that easily integrates with your code base
  • One year free of the Starter plan, (normally $99/month)
• Travis CI – Continuous integration platform
  • Private builds (normally $69/month)
• Unreal Engine – A complete suite of game development tools

30. Tableau

JetBrains has a free all products pack for students.

If you’ve got a .edu email address, you download the award-winning All Products Pack of developer tools from JetBrains! Click here to see what’s included.

PRO TIP: Go to your school’s IT department to see what software they have available (for example, here’s the free software page of the University of Pittsburgh students). Many universities have a large number of seat licenses that enable you to use the software like you would borrow a book from the library. It’ll cost you nothing and you can get access to a lot of great (and expensive) software packages.

Free Food and Drinks for College Students

Students can get food for free either by showing their student ID or by joining loyalty and rewards programs that allow them to earn free food.

There are also apps that can get students free food as well.

Below, I’ll cover restaurants and fast food places where college students can get free food. And I’ll also include apps for getting free food too!

31. Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A is reported to give college students a free drink with their meal. Just show your student ID and ask about the freebie.

Chick-fil-A also has a rewards app called One. When you order through the app, you earn points that you can redeem for rewards, like free food and birthday rewards.

32. Pocket Points

You can fill your smartphone with points and your belly with food by installing the Pocket Points app.

It gives students rewards for not using their phones during class, so using the app may even improve your grade point average!

Open the app on campus, and lock your phone and leave it alone.

That’s all you need to do to concentrate in class and start gaining points.

You can use them to redeem freebies and discounts at the following local and online businesses:

• Smoothie King
• Insomnia Cookies
• Jamba Juice
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Papa Johns
• The Pita Pit
• Pizza Hut
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
• Panda Express and
• Firehouse Subs

You can also get bonuses for referring classmates.

Here’s where you can get the Pocket Points app:

• Download the Pocket Points for iOS devices here.
• Download Pocket Points for Android devices here.

33. Chipotle

Chipotle offers a free drink alongside food to students. Just show your student ID.

34. Subway

Subway has a rewards program called MyWay Rewards. Join the program and you get tokens each time you order food at Subway. These tokens can be put towards $2.00 rewards.

For each dollar you spend at Subway, you get four tokens. Reach 200 tokens and get your $2.00 reward. You can use these rewards to get free food and drinks. There are also more rewards available, like birthday rewards.

35. Applebee’s

Applebee’s has a rewards program called Most Valuable Neighbor that gives you points for every dollar you spend. Points can be redeemed for rewards like a free entrée or appetizer. Free food from Applebee’s is pretty great.

36. FoodFinder

FoodFinder is an award-winning mobile and web app that can help you find free food.

Just visit the website or download the app. Then enable your location.

Multiple pins will be visible on the map that pops up.

The red pins are free food providers, and the blue pin is you.

Just click on a red pin to get more info, like the name and address of the pantry.

Here’s where you can get FoodFinder:

• Download FoodFinder for iOS devices here.
• Download FoodFinder for Android devices here.

37. Papa John’s

Papa John’s has a rewards program called Papa Rewards. Join the program and you’ll get a point for every $5 you spend. You can redeem your points for free food. On your birthday, you’ll get 10 bonus points too.

38. Burger King

Burger King has a rewards program called BK rewards. With the program you earn points when you spend money at Burger King. You can redeem these points for free food and drinks.

39. Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks has a rewards program called Steaklover Rewards. Join it and you’ll earn points that you can redeem for free food.

You can earn points not only for spending money at the restaurant but also for things like watching videos and referring a friend who makes a purchase.

Earn enough points in a year, and you’ll reach the Premium Tier of the program and get access to even more bonuses, like a free dessert on your birthday.

40. Zaxby’s

Zaxby’s gives you a free sandwich meal when you sign up for its email or text club. Pretty great, right? You’ll also get a free Nibbler on your birthday and promotions sent to you by email and/or text.

41. Del Taco

Del Taco will give you two grilled chicken tacos for free when you join its eClub. You also get a free regular size premium shake on your birthday and deals and coupons sent right to your inbox.

42. Jason’s Deli

Jason’s Deli will give you a $5 coupon you can use to get free food just for signing up for the brand’s mailing list. You’ll also get exclusive offers and promos.

43. El Torito

Get a free appetizer and two adult entrées from El Torito when you sign up to the El Torito eClub. You’ll get exclusive offers too.

44. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has a loyalty club called Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Club. You get complimentary food just for joining, and on your club anniversary and birthday. There are also promotions and special offers available.

45. Sbarro

Sbarro has a loyalty club called the Slice Society. Join to get a free XL NY slice with the purchase of a beverage just for signing up. You can also get a surprise on your birthday and access to coupons and the latest promotions.

46. Gold Star Chili

Gold Star Chili will give you a free food when you join its eClub. Just scroll down to the bottom of the homepage for the signup form. You can also get a free gift on your birthday and get great deals sent right to your inbox.

47. Black Angus Steakhouse

Black Angus Steakhouse has an email club you can sign up for for a free dessert!

You can get a free steak dinner on your birthday too! And you’ll also get exclusive offers sent right to your inbox.

48. Panera Bread

Panera Bread gives you points when you spend money if you join its rewards program. Use your points to get free stuff!

49. IHOP

IHOP has an eClub that you can join to get free pancakes. You get free pancakes on your birthday and on every anniversary of signing up. Plus, you receive special offers too!

50. Einstein Bros Bagels

Einstein Bros Bagels gives you a free bagel just for signing up for its loyalty program. You also get a free egg sandwich with purchase on your birthday and special offers and promotions throughout the year too.

51. O’Charley’s

Sign up to the O’Charley’s email club to get a complimentary appetizer. Also, you can receive special birthday surprises, exclusive offers, and discounts as well.

52. Taco Cabana

Taco Cabana gives you a complimentary small quesadilla when you sign up for its loyalty program, MY TC. You even get a surprise on your birthday and receive exclusive offers.

53. Black Bear Diner

Get freebies when you join the Black Bear Diner email club. You get a free bear claw and a cup of coffee just for signing up. It will send exclusive offers right to your inbox as well. You’ll even get a free meal on your birthday.

54. LongHorn Steakhouse

The LongHorn Steakhouse will give you a complimentary appetizer when you sign up for its email club. It will even send you special offers.

55. LunchBox

There are always events happening on campus that feature free food, and there’s an app for finding them.

University LunchBox notifies you if an event is serving free food/snacks and more.

It helps students

• See a list of free food events
• View the details for those events
• Keep an updated profile and
• Contribute to the free food community.

Currently, the up and coming app only serves six universities:

• Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah
• Brigham Young University in Rexburg, Idaho
• Utah State University
• Utah Valley University
• The University of Utah and
• Westminster in Salt Lake City, Utah.

But, it is definitely an app to watch. It couldn’t hurt to ask your school to purchase its services. It is free for students to use.

Here’s where you can get the LuncBox app:

• Download LunchBox for iOS devices here.
• Download LunchBox for Android devices here.

PRO TIP: Chances are your school hands out free food at least once a week. You just need to know how to find it. Ask a teacher or check your college’s social media accounts and website calendars to sniff out some yummy treats.

Free Memberships

Students can often get a free membership to professional organizations.

Lots of professional organizations provide free memberships to college students who are studying for a particular career.

These memberships offer lots of benefits, like access to job boards, mentoring help, and sometimes even networking events.

Here are a few memberships that college students can get for free.

56. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is the word’s largest membership association representing the accounting profession. It has more than 400,000 members.

When you join the AICPA as a Student Affiliate member it’s free!

And you get access to its tools and resources.

57. American Planning Association

The American Planning Association is the largest membership organization of professional planners and planning resources available. You can join the APA for free if you’re a student.

58. National Society of Professional Engineers

The National Society of Professional Engineers is another professional organization that gives students a free membership.

59. Society of Petroleum Engineers

The Society of Petroleum Engineers promotes the exchange of knowledge within the upstream oil and gas industry. Students can join the organization for free.

Free Student Bank Accounts

When you’re a student, you don’t want to have to pay fees to maintain a bank account. You want to keep as much money in your pocket as you can.

Thankfully, these banks give free checking, savings, and credit card accounts to students! This means you can avoid those maintenance fees that come along with most accounts.

60. Bank of America Student Banking

Bank of America will waive the monthly maintenance fee on select bank accounts for eligible students. Accounts on offer to students include checking, savings, and credit card accounts.

61. Chase College Checking

College students aged 17 to 24 years old at the time of account opening can get a Chase College Checking account.

With this account, you don’t have to pay the monthly service fee for up to 5 years while you’re in college.

Or you can avoid paying fees if you make a direct deposit during each monthly statement period or have an average ending day balance of $5,000 or more in this account.

If you don’t meet those requirements, you pay a $6 monthly service fee.

There’s also no monthly service fee on a Chase Savings account linked to this account for Overdraft Protection.

62. Regions LifeGreen Checking Account For Students

If you’re 25 years old or younger, you could get the LifeGreen Checking account for students.

This checking account has no monthly fee, which is awesome. You do need to make an opening deposit of $50 though. The account offers online and mobile banking.

You can also earn cashback rewards through Regions Online and Mobile Banking for eligible CheckCard and Now Card purchases.

63. TD Convenience Checking

TD offers students aged 17 to 23 lots of bonuses with its Convenience Checking account. Students pay no monthly fees on the account. There are no minimum balance requirements either. And students pay no monthly maintenance fee on a linked Simple Savings account if they’re under 24.

64. U.S. Bank Student Checking Account

The U.S. Bank Student Checking Account is a basic checking account with features just for students. With it, you get online and mobile banking. There’s no monthly maintenance fee on the account. There is a $2 paper statement fee that applies unless you enroll in e-statements.

Free Financial Apps

As a student, you’ll want to save money and pay down debts wherever you can. Thankfully, there are apps to help you do just that.

These apps help you with everything from budgeting to saving money, so you can keep more of your money where it belongs – in your bank account.

Take a look at these financial apps that are totally free to use.

65. Goodbudget

Goodbudget is an app that’s designed to help you with your budget. It uses the envelope method, which involves you setting aside money from your paycheck for the things you pay for each month, like your groceries or car payments.

There’s a free version of the app available which is awesome. Visit this page to learn about the differences between the paid version and the free version of the app.

Here’s where you can get the Goodbudget app:

• Download Goodbudget for iOS devices here.
• Download Goodbudget for Android devices here.

66. Acorns

As a student, it seems like you’re always paying out for stuff. But with Acorns, you could actually grow your money!

Acorns will invest your spare change automatically. Lots of people would love to invest, but they just don’t have the means to. This app opens up investing to people like college students who may not have otherwise been able to afford it.

With Acorns, you can invest for as little as $1, $2 or $3 a month.

Here’s where you can get the Acorns app:

• Download Acorns for iOS devices here.
• Download Acorns for Android devices here.

67. EveryDollar

EveryDollar is an app from Dave Ramsey that you can use to budget and track your spending.

It uses the zero-based budgeting system and Ramsey’s Baby Steps.

You tell every dollar where to go with zero-based budgeting. So the focus of the app is to get your income minus your outgoings to equal zero.

You can create a budget with the app and track your spending, which is really useful.

Here’s where you can get the EveryDollar app:

• Download EveryDollar for iOS devices here.
• Download EveryDollar for Android devices here.
• Read our review of EveryDollar here.

68. Trim

A couple of years ago (before I knew about Trim) I was looking through my bank and noticed that I’d been paying out $10 a month for Gamepass for an old Xbox live account I didn’t use anymore.

Because I had two Xbox live accounts and had been using Gamepass on one of those up until recently, I just assumed this payment was for that. It wasn’t and suffice to say I spent the better part of $100 on a subscription I didn’t even use anymore.

It was annoying.

I’m not alone though. Lots of people continue to pay for subscriptions for services they don’t even use.

That’s why Trim is such an awesome tool.

It analyzes your accounts to see if you have any recurring subscriptions. It finds the ones that you don’t want and will cancel them for you.

This means you don’t waste money on services you don’t use.

And when you’re in college you want to make sure that you’re not wasting money anywhere.

Trim will also give you personalized spend alerts and reminders, detection and fighting of overdraft fees, and more.

It’s free to use, which is great. There are additional paid features, like, for example, Trim can also help you to negotiate your bills.

• Read our Trim review here.

69. Robinhood

Robinhood is a free stock trading app. It doesn’t charge commission and you can start investing with as little as $1. You do have to pay for some account types. Learn more about the different types of accounts here.

Here’s where you can get the Robinhood app:

• Download Robinhood for iOS devices here.
• Download Robinhood for Android devices here.

70. Mint

Mint is a free app that allows you to plan and track your budget. It offers handy features from bill tracking to alerts.

Here’s where you can get the Mint app:

• Download Mint for Android devices here.
• Download Mint for iOS devices here.

71. Clarity Money

Clarity Money is an app you can use to organize your finances and save money. The app can help you to find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, meaning you can cut your expenses.

The app also allows you to set savings goals and track your monthly spending.

Here’s where you can get the Clarity Money app:

• Download Clarity Money for Android devices here.
• Download Clarity Money for iOS devices here.

72. You Need a Budget

You Need a Budget claims to save new users $600 in the first two months of use and $6,000 within a year!

It’s an app that helps you to budget and save money more efficiently. You can connect all your bank accounts in one place and budget across your devices with the app. There are also tools available to help you to pay off your debts and set and track your financial goals.

The app is free to use for the first 34 days. After that you do have to pay for it, and it costs $6.99 a month.

Here’s where you can get the YNAB app:

• Download YNAB for iOS devices here.
• Download YNAB for Android devices here.

Free Museums

Many museums also provide free admission to college students. Most of the time, you’ll get free admission to your college’s or university’s museum, if it has one. Some universities have initiatives and programs that give students access to free museums in the area.

Columbia University for example has an arts initiative that gives students free admissions to more than 30 museums in New York City.

So do check with your university to see if there are any programs like this available to students.

And don’t be afraid to ask at your local museums whether they offer free admission to students. Many will provide free entry to students who are enrolled at local colleges.

Here are a few museums that provide free entry to students.

73. Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The Museum of Fine Arts Boston offers nearly 450,000 works of art. It provides free admission to students with a valid ID from participating colleges and universities.

74. Carnegie Museum of Art and National History

The Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History provides free admission to students from certain schools with a valid student ID.

75. San Antonio Museum of Art

The San Antonio Museum of Art has a large collection of ancient Mediterranean art, Asian art and Latin American art. Students from certain universities get free general admission to the museum with their school IDs.

76. Guggenheim

The Guggenheim Museum offers free admission tickets to select college ID cardholders, including students. So students from certain universities can get into the art museum for free.

77. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) provides free admission to students from certain schools with a valid college ID.

Free Money and Gift Cards

What’s better than free stuff?

Free money and gift cards!

The website and apps below will give you free money and gift cards to places like Amazon just for doing really easy tasks that you probably already do anyway!

If you’re a student you can use this money and gift cards to get anything from clothes to video games for free!

78. Drop

Imagine getting paid when you go shopping?

Well, with Drop, this is totally possible. Link your debit or credit cards to your Drop account. Then use your linked cards to pay for your shopping and Drop will give you points.

You can redeem your points for gift cards to retailers, like:

• Amazon
• Netflix
• Starbucks

Here’s where to get the Drop app:

• Download Drop for Android devices here.
• Download Drop for iOS devices here.
• Read our Drop review here to learn more.

79. Swagbucks

Swagbucks gives you points for doing super simple tasks, like:

• Playing games
• Shopping online
• Browsing the internet
• Taking surveys
• Watching videos
• Completing offers.

You can redeem these points called Swag Bucks (SB) for money to your PayPal account or for gift cards for places like:

• Amazon
• Domino’s
• Walmart
• Target
• iTunes
• Google Play

You can also get Visa rewards cards.

Here’s where you can get the Swagbucks app:

• Download Swagbucks for Android devices here.
• Download Swagbucks for iOS devices here.

80. Seated

Dining out doesn’t have to cost you. There’s a way to make money back. Just use Seated.

It’s an app that will give you cashback when you dine out.

You get up to 30% cashback on every restaurant reservation.

Just book a reservation with the app and dine out like you normally would to get your cashback.

You can spend your Seated rewards on in-person experiences, like cooking classes or wine tastings or redeem them for gift cards to places like:

• Amazon
• Target
• Airbnb
• Nordstrom
• Sephora

Here’s where you can get the Seated app:

• Download Seated for Android devices here.
• Download Seated for iOS devices here.

81. Shoptracker

Do you buy stuff on Amazon? Well you could make money from your Amazon purchases with Shoptracker.

Just share your Amazon purchase history with Shoptracker and you could earn up to $108 a year.

Here’s where you can get Shoptracker:

• Read our Shoptracker review to learn more about the app, and to get the download links.

82. Paribus

When you buy something one day and see it go on sale soon after, it’s annoying. You miss out on a great deal.

Thanks to Paribus though you don’t have to miss out on those savings. Paribus monitors your inbox for receipts and the prices at lots of different stores.

If it finds that the price of an item you purchased has dropped, it will automatically get you a refund for the difference.

It’s free money that you can spend on anything from school supplies to food.

Here’s where to get Paribus:

• Download Paribus for your device here.

83. Ibotta

Trade your receipts for free money to spend on school supplies and whatever else you need with Ibotta.

This app pays you when you upload a photo of your receipts. Browse rebate offers in Ibotta, select the offers you want, purchase the item featured in the offer, and then upload a photo of your receipt.

Ibotta will then give you the rebate. It’s that simple. It’s common to see rebates for $1 to $2 or even more than that. You can get your cashback sent right to your PayPal account or transfer it to a gift card.

Here’s where you can get Ibotta:

• Download Ibotta for iOS devices here.
• Download Ibotta for Android devices here.
• Read our Ibotta review to learn more about this app.

84. Mobee

Mystery shopping app Mobee pays you for visiting restaurants, retailers, and other businesses in your area and providing your feedback. You can pick up secret shopper missions in the area, which could involve anything from answering survey questions to taking photos inside the store.

You get points for doing these missions. Points can be redeemed for free gift cards to places, like:

• Starbucks
• Dunkin’ Donuts
• Target
• Walmart
• Best Buy

You can also get MasterCard prepaid gift cards. Or you can donate your points to charity.

Here’s where you can get the Mobee app:

• Download Mobee for iOS devices here.
• Download Mobee for Android devices here.

85. ReceiptPal

ReceiptPal pays you for any itemized receipt – that’s pretty great. You can trade your receipts for money you can spend on everything from textbooks to coffee!

The app pays you with gift cards. All you need to do to get paid is take a photo of your receipt and upload it to the app.

Here’s where to get ReceiptPal:

• Download ReceiptPal for Android devices here.
• Download Receipt Pal for iOS devices here.

86. Slidejoy

Slidejoy will pay you just for allowing the app to display news content and ads on your phone.

This means you could make money in college just from using your smartphone like you normally do!

It’s such a simple way to earn a little extra cash.

You can redeem your points for gift cards for places like:

• Amazon
• Google Play Store
• Walmart
• Starbucks
• Steam

Here’s where you can get Slidejoy:

• Download Slidejoy for Android devices here.

87. InboxDollars

InboxDollars pays you to do easy tasks like:

• Reading emails
• Completing surveys
• Playing games
• Shopping online

You get the money sent right to your PayPal account. You can use this cash to pay for college supplies, textbooks and anything else you need.

Here’s where you can get the InboxDollars app:

• Download InboxDollars for iOS devices here.
• Download InboxDollars for Android devices here.

88. Panel App

Panel App pays you to take location-based surveys and share your location. It pays you cash through Visa and MasterCard Cash Cards.

Or you can get gift cards for places like:

• Amazon
• Starbucks
• Google Play store.

There are also sweepstakes available. You can enter for the chance to win prizes like an Xbox One or a PS4, which is pretty great!

Here’s where you can get Panel App:

• Download Panel App for iOS devices here.
• Download Panel App for Android devices here.

89. Checkout51

Checkout51 is an app like Ibotta that’ll pay you for your receipts.

All you need to do to get paid is browse the app, select the offers you want, purchase the item featured in the offer, and upload a photo of your receipt.

It’s that simple!

You often see rebates for between $1 and $3 on there too, which is great!

Now, what’s good about these receipt apps is that there’s no reason why you can’t upload the same receipt to all of them and make even more money from your shopping trips!

Use Checkout51 alongside the receipt apps I mentioned above, like Ibotta and ReceiptPal and you can maximize your earnings!

Here’s where you can get the Checkout51 app:

• Download Checkout 51 for Android devices here.
• Download Checkout 51 for iOS devices here.

90. AppTrailers

AppTrailers will pay you to watch video trailers of apps, celebrity gossip, DIY videos and more. It will pay you for playing trivia games too, with over 10,000 questions added each day.

It gives you points. You can redeem your rewards for money right to your PayPal account.

Points can also be redeemed for gift cards for places, like:

• Amazon
• Target
• Starbucks

Here’s where you can get the AppTrailers app:

• Download AppTrailers for iOS devices here.
• Download AppTrailers for Android devices here.

91. Qmee

Qmee will pay you to:

• Search the internet
• Take surveys
• Shop online.

You can get the money sent right to your PayPal account or you can get a gift card – awesome, right?

Now, what’s even better is that Qmee has no minimum withdrawal amount, meaning you can withdraw your earnings at any time.

Here’s where you can get the Qmee app:

• Download Qmee for Android devices here.
• Download Qmee for iOS devices here.
• Download the Qmee Chrome Extension here.

92. QuickRewards.net

QuickRewards.net will pay you for:

• Completing offers
• Taking surveys
• Playing games
• Shopping
• Watching videos

You can get your money sent right to your PayPal account.

Or you can get a gift card to places, like:

• Amazon
• Olive Garden
• Walmart
• Red Lobster
• And more – there are more than 50 redemption options available.

93. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie will give you points for taking surveys.

You can redeem your points for money to your PayPal account. Or you can get paid by direct bank transfer.

You can also get gift cards for brands like Amazon and Target.

• Read my Survey Junkie review here to learn more about the website.

94. FeaturePoints

FeaturePoints will give you points for doing easy tasks, like:

• Completing surveys
• Trying free apps
• Shopping online

You can redeem your points for gift cards for a variety of retailers, like:

• Amazon
• Xbox
• GameStop
• Steam
• Target
• Walmart

Or you can get your money sent to your PayPal account.

Here’s where you can get the FeaturePoints app:

• Download FeaturePoints for iOS devices here.
• Download FeaturePoints for Android devices here.

95. Rakuten (Formerly Ebates)

Rakuten will pay you for shopping online. It’s a cashback website, formerly known as Ebates, that gives you up to 40% cashback at more than 2500 stores.

You can also find coupons, promo codes, and daily deals on the site.

The site pays your cashback to your PayPal account or you can get a check.

You can get a $10 sign up bonus, either as a $10 Rakuten Cash Bonus or as a $10 Walmart gift card, just for signing up!

Here’s where you can get the Rakuten app:

• Download Rakuten for iOS devices here.
• Download Rakuten for Android devices here.

Even More Free Things for College Students

In this section, I’m going to cover a variety of free things you can get if you’re a college student.

96. Free Student ID Photo

With Passport Booth you can get a free photo for your student ID! Then just print out the photo for a low price at a nearby store. The best part is you’ll get a photo that you actually like, because you’ve taken it yourself!

• Visit the Passport Booth website here.
• Download Passport Booth for iOS devices here.
• Download Passport Booth for Android devices here.

97. Free T-shirt from BoardVitals

If you’re a medical or nursing student, you could get a free t-shirt from BoardVitals. All you need is a verifiable school email address.

• Get the “trust me, I’m almost a doctor” t-shirt here.
• Get the “trust me, I’m almost a nurse” t-shirt here.

98. Amazon Student

Students can get 6 months of Amazon Prime for free!

You get a 6-month trial courtesy of Sprint. The offer is available for new members only. Once the trial period ends, Prime Student only costs $6.49 a month rather than the usual $12.99 a month. So you get a discount too!

Prime gives you all sorts of benefits, like free delivery on millions of Prime eligible items and access to lots of movies and TV shows through Amazon’s streaming platform, Prime Video.

• Learn more about Prime Student here.

99. Get free money for college

College isn’t cheap. So imagine getting free money to pay for it? Well, with the Federal Pell Grant program, you can.

This program offers eligible college students a grant to help pay for their tuition.

You don’t have to pay grants back, unlike a loan, meaning you get free money for college.

The grant is only available to students with exceptional financial need, and those who have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree.

However, a student enrolled in a postbaccalaureate teacher certification program might receive a Federal Pell Grant in some cases.

• Visit this page to learn more and to see if you’re eligible for the grant.

100. Clear your student loan debt with student loan forgiveness

If you have a student loan already, you may still be able to get free money to pay it with student loan forgiveness.

Student loan forgiveness allows you to have your student loan debt partially canceled.

There are a few eligibility criteria though. You need to have a loan that’s backed by the federal government and be employed by a government or not-for-profit organization.

You must also make 120 qualifying monthly payments under a repayment plan. Then the program will forgive the remaining balance on your loan.

Getting a student loan forgiven takes about ten years.

• Learn more about student loan forgiveness here.

All You Need is Your Student ID or .edu Email Address

There are so many free things available to college students, anything from free college courses to food, books and more. Even if a place doesn’t provide any freebies, it may offer a discount.

I’ve given you more than 100 free things for college students already.

However, a good tip to keep in mind is that whether you’re visiting a museum or a restaurant, always ask to see if the place offers any freebies or at least a discount to students.

You’ll be surprised by how many places do offer discounts and freebies, but they just don’t advertise it. All you have to do to unlock more free stuff and discounts is ask and have your student ID at hand or a valid student email address.

So go and get your free stuff!