The stereotype “broke college student” is everlasting, permeating our daily lives. It’s the butt of many jokes, students laughing at their lack of spending money or growing amounts of debt, silently crying inside, but we are not alone. Everyone knows, college is expensive. Luckily, universities try to help us, offering student deals and access to free or cheap services.

One of the greatest secret presents universities across the nation give their students is a .edu email. Why? Well it’s not just great for looking professional, and keeping important school emails separate, but it opens the door to a lot of really awesome discounts. Now, student discounts aren’t limited to physical locations where you can flash that shiny student ID and save a few bucks. Official .edu emails brings our student status to all kinds of internet storefronts.

You work hard, think of these discounts as your reward. This is News You Can Use with a guide to discounts with your student email.

How do I get one?

First things first, if you don’t have an official UNR email, here’s how to get one. On both UNR’s main website, as well as in the MyNevada Dashboard, students can find a link to sign up for a student email. The @nevada.unr.edu email is run by Google Apps for Education and gives you access to not only the email but to Google Calendar, Drive, and Docs, all with unlimited storage.

Want to know the coolest part? Your student email will stay active…for life. The email service uses a different log-in system separate from your NetID, so that means no loss of data, documents or discounts after you graduate. If you’re a UNR student without an official student email, what are you waiting for? Here are some of the discounts you would be missing out on:

Amazon

Amazon is every student’s one-stop-shop. It’s easy, quick, and has almost everything from textbook rentals to your favorite pencils, even groceries and toilet paper. Amazon must love students because they offer everyone with a .edu email a free six-month, Amazon Prime membership.

That means free two-day shipping, access to Prime Video streaming, unlimited photo storage with Prime Photos and special student discounts. After the six months expire, Amazon offers students a full Prime membership for $49 a year, 50 percent off the standard price. The full Prime service gives students additional perks, including access to the Kindle library and a selection of free books.

Microsoft Office Programs

Even in the age of Google Docs, Slides, etc. Microsoft’s Office programs are still most students’ and businesses’ go-to software for text editing. A subscription to each of the software programs can be costly, but all students with an official university affiliated email get access to Office365 and programs like Word, PowerPoint and Excel for free. The best part? It’s not a trial! All you have to do is visit Microsoft’s website and enter your student email, where you will be prompted to complete the rest of the steps to download the free programs.

Microsoft offers free software compatible with most computer operating systems, and in addition, they extend students a 10 percent discount on Windows products.

Spotify/Apple Music

Without music, college would surely be a lot more difficult. Most students use streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music to get their tunes fix, but ads and limited storage can be annoying, and paying for the service every month can add up!

If you’re serious about your tunes though, streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music offer premium access to students for $4.99 per month instead of $9.99. This gives students the ability to jam out or study to their tunes uninterrupted, and also download their favorite songs to listen to without WiFi.

The only catch, Spotify is smart, and only wants current students to take advantage of the deal. Using a special software Spotify checks to make sure you are a current student. The discount is active for 12 months after you apply, and Spotify checks your eligibility each academic year. So, if you’re a freshman, sign up now so you can take advantage of the deal for all four years.

Adobe products

For students interested in graphic design, photography, videography or want to take advantage of any other programs Adobe offers, be sure to use your student email for a discounted price. For only $9.99 a month you can get access to both Photoshop and Lightroom, but if you’re a pro (or want to be) students can get access to the full Adobe Suite for only $19.99/month. That price may still sound high, but considering the normal price is $49.99/month, taking advantage of your student discount is a must.

Remember, if you want to test out or learn the Adobe products before subscribing, head to the @One!

Apple products

Have you been dreaming of owning a new iPad or Mac laptop? The steep price for these popular products is usually enough to deter students from owning the tech device of their dreams. Your student email is here to help. Apple for Education offers special prices and financing for certain Apple products like MacBooks and iPads. Not only can current students take advantage, but their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels can as well.

News

While a lot of students get their news off social media sites like Facebook, twitter and Snapchat, many students may prefer a more traditional news source. The Washington Post offers students with a valid university email a free subscription, including alumni! After signing up with your email you can access unlimited articles and other content from all platforms. The New York Times is another publication helping out students, offering a special price of $1/week for unlimited access. That is $48 for a year of access, down from the normal $156/year.

Unidays

For those of you that love to get your online shopping on, you may have heard of a shop called ASOS. ASOS is the ultimate online shopping destination with over 50,000 branded and own-label product lines across womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories, jewelry and beauty. When you sign up with your student email through ASOS’ student discount partner, Unidays, you get access to thousands of discounts including multiple brands ASOS carries, Topshop, Virgin Mobile, Uber and more.

These are just a few of the many discounts you have access to right now with your student email. Happy spending Wolf Pack.

Do you know of any more sweet student discounts offered online? Tell us your favorites @NevadaSagebrush!

Emily Fisher can be reached at efisher@sagerush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.