17 Things Colleges Give You for Free

We all know that going to college isn’t cheap. Unless you get a full-ride scholarship, you’ll spend thousands of dollars on courses, room and board, textbooks, fees, and anything else you need to survive. On-campus food, clothing, personal care products - these costs all add up.

As an incoming college student, it’s not too early to start looking into the potential free products and services your prospective schools may offer. 

Here are 17 free things colleges may offer that they likely won’t broadcast to incoming first-year students.

Free application fees

Before we discuss what you can get once you arrive on campus, let’s start with the freebies you may be eligible for during the application process. 

Some colleges and universities don’t charge application fees or have open periods when you can apply for free. You’ll need to follow your prospective schools to see when they offer this benefit.

Or, if you demonstrate financial need, you may be able to get your fees waived by contacting the admissions office directly or by applying for one of the following waivers:

• Common App Fee Waiver
• National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Fee Waivers
• Coalition for College

Computer software

While some companies offer a bundled service with new computers to cover programs like Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, or antivirus or malware protection, your college may offer similar IT packages free of charge. Just check with your school’s IT department to see which software programs you can get access to.

Career services

Most schools offer free in-person or online career services. As an incoming college student building the foundation for your future career, you definitely want to take advantage of these services.  

Career services may include a free wardrobe of business professional clothes you can borrow, mock interview sessions, career advising, and resume and LinkedIn profile review. Some schools may also offer Handshake, which helps students connect to part-time jobs, internships, and work-study opportunities. 

Printing

Although most documents are easily shared digitally, there will likely be times when you need to print something out. Instead of purchasing a printer and ink, take advantage of complimentary printing services at your prospective college. You may be able to print 100 or more free pages each semester. 

Tickets to sporting events

As you may know, sports—especially football and basketball—are a huge part of college life. To encourage students to support their teams, colleges usually allow them to get in free with just their student ID. Going to a game not only provides free entertainment but a nice break from schoolwork.  

Water

If you’ll be trekking across campus, you’ll definitely want to stay hydrated. Fortunately, many colleges have bottle-filling stations where you can easily refill your water bottle—so be sure to keep one on hand! Refilling at these stations can be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than disposable plastic water bottles.

Food

This doesn’t include the cafeteria. Finding free food on campus typically requires being in the right place at the right time, although students have created an app that helps other students find it.

Schools within colleges frequently host free lunches. Student organizations also offer free snacks to encourage others to attend their meetings. Plus, sometimes, there’s a free dinner when someone important shows up on campus.

Also, some colleges may have food pantries on campus for students in need. Just ask your prospective school’s student affairs office to see if there’s a food pantry available.

Swag

Most colleges want their students to show off their pride everywhere they go. So, when the opportunity strikes, grab as many t-shirts, hats, pens, koozies, and drawstring backpacks as possible. At a certain point, you won’t even need to buy t-shirts or school supplies if you visit enough functions on campus. 

Public transportation

If you live off-campus, you may be able to get free public transportation through shuttles or bike rentals.

Tutoring and writing services

Many colleges offer free tutoring services by other students (and if you don’t need a tutor, you could get paid to be the tutor). And, if you need help outlining a paper or editing, you can access a free writing center on campus (or online) as well. Colleges want their students to do well, so they will equip you with the tools to do so.

Health services

Colleges typically provide a student health clinic you can visit for health concerns. You can get screened for STIs, receive treatment for the cold or flu, complete required physicals, get labs done, receive mental health counseling, and much more. 

Please keep in mind that some medical services may not be entirely free, but anything concerning screening, immunizations, and vaccinations usually is. 

Contraceptives

Many colleges encourage safe sex practices on or off campus by providing free condoms at the student health clinic and the residence halls. 

Menstrual products

If you need supplies for that time of the month, most schools provide free menstrual products, such as tampons and pads, at their student health clinics. If you live in a residence hall, they may also have some products available there.

Newspapers 

Yes, newspapers are still relevant. Although most papers also have a digital app for readers to view on their phones or tablets, the communications and business schools probably have multiple big-name newspapers for students. Also, the school may have a deal with some newspapers to give you discounted subscriptions.

Access to scientific journals

You’ll be writing many papers in college, so you’ll need to examine research studies. Fortunately, many colleges have subscriptions allowing students to access peer-reviewed journals for their coursework for free. Once classes start, you can ask your professor or contact your library to see how you can get access to these journals.

Bed sheets

Gathering supplies for a dorm room can be expensive, but you need your necessities, including bed sheets. Ask your dorm director or resident assistant if sheets are available so you don’t have to pay the additional cost.

Gym memberships

Maybe not a membership per se, but a gym on campus is probably free for students to use. That perk goes away after graduation, so get fit for free while you can.

What else can I get for free as a college student?

Let’s not stop at the freebies your prospective school may offer. We want you to get as much free stuff as possible, so here’s what some companies offer for college students:

• Amazon Prime Student: Amazon offers a six-month free trial that gives you access to free shipping, Prime Video originals, Amazon Music, Prime Reading, and much more.
• Checking account: Companies like Chase Bank, Chime, and Discover allow college students to open free bank checking accounts with no minimum opening deposit or balance.
• Food stamps: You may be eligible for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits if you meet certain enrollment, financial, and work requirements. Please note that if you have a meal plan, you won’t be able to get SNAP benefits.
• Spotify: If you’re a music lover, you can get one month free of Spotify. Once the trial ends, you can pay $4.99 to continue your subscription.
• Coursera: Want to brush up on your skills or just have a topic you’re interested in learning? Coursera offers several free courses—some of which include a certification that could look nice on your resume.
• You Need a Budget (YNAB): Money gets tight in college, so having a service like You Need a Budget (YNAB) can be very helpful. This tool links to your bank account and helps you learn better spending and saving habits.

Start your scholarship search today

If you’re looking for freebies, it’s likely that you’re also seeking some free money to support your college education, and Appily’s scholarship database is here to help. We have millions of dollars worth of scholarships you can apply for to help bring down the cost of college, and they've all been vetted, so they're legit and scam-free.