Education Freebies
"I never let my schoolin' get in the way of my education" - Mark Twain
The topic of "education" is so broad that the information on this page had to be organized into separate sections:
- College Students
- High School, Middle School/Junior High, Elementary School Students
- Teachers
- Schools
For College Students:
Note: Most of the resources in this section are for undergraduate and post-graduate education. However, High School students, younger students, and parents may find many applicable resources in this section.
The #1 freebies resource for college students is the library (excluding the parent scholarship). The school library and local public libraries can literally save a college student thousands of dollars during college. While its nice to have a computer and text books, students could theoretically avoid having to pay for them if they use the ones available at the library. School libraries also often have subscriptions to research journals so students don't have to pay to do research. Many public libraries also have collections of music and movies, which can provide free entertainment, and help the student avoid paying a fortune at movie theaters and downloading songs from the internet. The #2 resource is the internet. Students can find tons of freebies on the net to alleviate their expenses. They can sometimes find their text books for free in digital form at sites like Google Books. In fact, an entire education could be free online.
Free Money (for Tuition, Books, Living Expenses and other Fees)
- See the Educational Grants, Scholarships and Awards directory
- You and your family can participate in Rewards Programs like Upromise to get cash back on purchases. The cash can be transferred to a college savings account or received as a check. Most college reward programs deposit the refunds into a 529. Upromise, Babymint, Little Grad, Future Trust.
- 6 Ways To Get Free Cash for College by USnews.com
- You're also welcome to look at the Free Money pages on this site. The resources listed on these pages probably won't cover expenses for college, but they can help.
- If you have information on how college students can get free money, please submit it for review.
College Match Services (Find the right college to apply to)
Free Books
Check the school library and local libraries to see if they have your textbooks. Find local public libraries with a library locater provided by the
US Government or
WorldCat.
Ask your professor if you can use an older edition of a text book. If you can use an older edition without compromising your grade then it will be easier to find text books for free or as little as a few dollars on eBay, online bookstores, and classified ads.
Find friends in your same major and offer to swap books with them. If you're taking a class that they're done with, you can use their book, and vice versa.
Check to see if your textbooks are available for free in digital form in places like
Google Books.
If you have information on how college students can get free books, please
submit it for review.
Free Computer
Free Internet Access
Free Software
If you have information on how college students can get free software, please
submit it for review.
Free School Supplies
If you have information on how college students can get free supplies, please
submit it for review.
Free Housing
- Get a job as a resident assistant (RA) and basically become an apartment manger in student dorms.
- Get a job as a live-in nanny or care giver. This is another flexible way to cover housing and still have time to study. Some of these jobs only require that you be on call in case of emergencies. Others, however, are a little more involved.
If you have information on how college students can get free housing, please
submit it for review.
Free Food
Free Transportation
Free Furniture
Search your state and local
government websites for furniture recycling programs.
Contact apartment complex managers at the end of every semester to see if they have some move-out left-overs. You can also search near the dumpsters at the end of every semester and you might be surprised what you find. I've seen desks, tables, chairs, TVs, DVD players, VCRs, and lots of other stuff. People can't always pay to move their stuff so they leave it behind.
If you have information on how college students can get free furniture, please
submit it for review.
Free Entertainment
Check the school library and local libraries for free use of music and movies. Find local public libraries with a library locator provided by the
US Government or
WorldCat. Some libraries have free movie viewings.
Schools (your own school and local high schools) often offer free shows for theater and choir. Many churches also have free choir concerts.
Many schools have movie theaters and offer free movie nights.
Contact local movie theaters to see if they ever have free movies. Sometimes they offer free viewings of movies to get feedback for marketing the movies.
- Watch free movies and tv shows online.
If you have information on how college students can get free entertainment, please
submit it for review.
Free Education Online - This page lists resources where you can get college-level, near-college-level, and graduate-level education for free online.
Tuition-Free Colleges
- Alice Lloyd College - Pippa Passes, KY
- Berea College - Berea, KY
- City University of New York's Teacher Academy - New York, NY
- College of the Ozarks - Point Lookout, Mo
- Cooper Union - New York, NY
- Curtis Institute of Music - Philadelphia, PA
- Deep Springs College - Deep Springs, CA
- Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering - Needham, Mass
- U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy - Various Locations
- Webb Institute - Glen Cove, NY
- These are the ones listed at BusinessWeek.com.
- Stanford drops tuition for some students article at SFGate.com
This guy in this video is awesome! If I had an award I'd give it to him for his open, free information.
Other Useful Resources
- Articles for College students at ActuallyFree.info
- Tips For College
- Financial Tips for College
- Internet Freebies for College Students
- Collegeboard.com - "Inside source for college admissions requirements"
- 10 Most Common Myths About College from USnews.com
- America's Best Colleges by USnews.com
- The More Free Tips page can give you other ideas to save money with freebies
For High School, Middle School and Elementary School Students:
Some Free Samples websites are made specifically for Teens and Kids.
High school students should begin early their research for college. See the college sources above.
Read the article Tips For Choosing a Major, A More Thorough Approach than Career Tests.
If you have information that should be included in this section, please submit it for review.
For Teachers:
Many Government Grants are offered for Teachers
If you have information that should be included in this section, please submit it for review.
For Schools:
Free Money
Schools can get free money from programs like Upromise, Bank Card programs and Boxtops.
If you have information that should be included in this section, please submit it for review.
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