Money-tight students save for the holidays
Photo credit: cariberry
One of the advantages of being a college student is that many companies recognize you can probably only afford to eat Ramen Noodles every day, so they offer students discounts on their products.
Typically, these discounts are beneficial to the company, which wants to get students acquainted with its products or services as well as give opportunities and motivation to buy products or try services that aren’t affordable otherwise.
We should be especially grateful for these discounts during the holiday season because they can be used to purchase gifts for friends and family.
Break out the student ID and fire up your browser because there are numerous technology discounts and deals for students (and often university faculty) this holiday season.
There are “educational” or “academic” versions of software programs. And most companies don’t limit functions or operability, or they do so minimally. Most academic software is eligible for upgrades, even to a commercial version or after you graduate.
One Web site for software and training materials is www.academicsuperstore.com, which offers the most extensive selection of applications and tools at a steep discount. In addition to software for graphic design, business, study or teaching aides and related hardware components, printers and storage devices, it sells MP3 players, digital cameras and video recorders, training books and DVDs, bags and carrying cases and even preschool toys.
Another Web site, www.gradware.com, has the benefit of lower prices on occasion as well as a point system for every dollar you spend that can be redeemed later for free shipping or coupons. While Gradware has a similar spectrum of product categories, it tends to have less selection among individual products.
With less selection but deeper discounts, try ComputerLand of Silicon Valley’s Web site, www.uscollegebuy.com, especially if you want to buy Photoshop or any other graphic design program. If you also took classes at one of the local community colleges this semester or plan on taking some next semester, you qualify for an extra markdown for Adobe Creative Suite through their Contractual License Program, which is sponsored by Adobe. For example, the Master Collection, which contains all of Adobe’s Creative Suite programs, is normally $2,499 for the full commercial version. However, through this Web site, it’s discounted down to $519.
If you’re looking for an operating system upgrade, visit one of the above sites for an academic version of Windows Vista Home Premium Academic Upgrade for under $100 - again, without a difference in functionality. For Leopard, the latest version of Mac OS X, the least expensive solution is actually at the San Diego State Bookstore for $69.99 compared to the standard $129. Only university bookstores are authorized to sell Leopard at the student discount price.
Finally, if you’re after a new computer, you can usually go directly to the manufacturer and type in “student discount” in their search bar. SDSU has a customized Apple store at www.apple.com/edu/sdsu, where laptops and desktops are discounted up to $200. Or if you wait until the summer, Apple offers an additional $199 rebate if you buy an iPod with your computer, which is the equivalent to getting the iPod nano for free. SDSU also has a customized store via www.delluniversity.com, with an up to 12 percent discount (which, similar to Apple, usually amounts to about $200).
Make sure to let your family and friends know that you can get these discounts and deals for your Christmas list - it can be a deal breaker if your parents are thinking about getting you a new computer but aren’t quite sure.
While the student discounts listed are for technology, you can also use it for magazine subscriptions (sometimes including gift subscriptions from you), professional association memberships and plane or train tickets for a surprise weekend visit home. Enjoy the marginal benefit thousands of tuition dollars can bring.
Read the original column online here.
