Best deals, discounts and freebies for college students in 2021

It's a good time to be a college student, and that's not just because in-person classes are probably, hopefully, finally soon to resume. (The CDC just announced that vaccinated people probably don't need to wear masks any longer.) No, it's a good time because college students qualify for discounts on lots of products and services.

For example, with a valid .edu email address or proof of enrollment (via a validation service like as SheerID or Unidays), you can score impressive deals on things like Microsoft Office, Spotify and Hulu subscriptions and even Amazon Prime.

Those and other deals are listed below. Be sure to check with your school's housing department and student bookstore as well, where you might find certain streaming services for free or cheap and extra discounts on devices and software. For more information, see the best apps for college students to save money and time and the best student credit cards.

Read more: Best college laptops for 2021

Student discounts on entertainment

These popular music and video streaming services give you breaks on subscriptions.

Student discounts on money management

If there's one thing most students could use a hand with, it's managing money.

Student discounts on apps and software

While you may be able to get software at a discount through your school's bookstore, you won't do any better than free.

Student discounts on shopping and tech

From Amazon to Groupon, you can save up to 50% on services and devices.

Read more: All the latest coupons from Amazon, Best Buy, Groupon, Lenovo and Microsoft.

Have you found any other great college deals to share? List them in the comments!

More back-to-school recommendations

CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow him on Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for deal texts delivered right to your phone. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest Walmart discount codes, eBay coupons, Samsung promo codes and even more from hundreds of other online stores. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Answers live on our FAQ page.