Every Student Discount in Canada You Should Be Using

This is where student discounts really shine. Software companies want you hooked on their products before you graduate and start paying full price. Take advantage of every single one of these while you can.

• Apple Education Pricing — Save $100–$200+ on MacBooks and iPads through apple.com/ca/shop/go/education. You also get a free pair of AirPods during the annual Back to School promotion (usually July–September). AppleCare is discounted 20% for students.
• Microsoft Office 365 Education — Completely free with a valid .edu or school email address. Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and 1 TB of OneDrive storage.
• Adobe Creative Cloud — The student plan is around $23/month (all apps) vs. $70+/month for the regular plan. That's over $550/year in savings if you need Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, or any other Adobe app.
• GitHub Student Developer Pack — Free GitHub Pro, free domain names, cloud computing credits (Azure, DigitalOcean, Heroku), and dozens of other developer tools. One of the best student deals in existence.
• JetBrains — All professional IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.) are completely free for students. Renew annually as long as you're enrolled.
• Notion — Free Plus plan for students and educators. Just sign up with your school email.
• Figma — Free for students. Apply through their education program with your school email.
• Autodesk — Free student licenses for AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion 360, Maya, 3ds Max, and more. Essential for engineering and design students.
• Spotify — Student plan is $5.99/month vs. $11.99/month regular. Verify through SheerID once per year.
• YouTube Premium — Student plan is $7.99/month vs. $13.99/month. Includes YouTube Music.
• Amazon Prime Student — $4.99/month vs. $9.99/month. Includes free shipping, Prime Video, Prime Reading, and more. You also get a 6-month free trial.
• Samsung Education Store — Education pricing on Galaxy phones, tablets, laptops, and accessories. Typically 10–15% off.
• Lenovo and Dell — Both have student portals (Lenovo: lenovo.com/ca/en/landingpage/students; Dell: dell.com/en-ca/lp/students) with exclusive pricing on laptops and accessories.

Every major Canadian bank offers a student banking package with no monthly fees, unlimited transactions, and often a free credit card. If you're paying bank fees as a student, you're throwing money away.

Student credit cards typically have lower credit limits ($500–$1,000) and are easier to get approved for. Many have no annual fee and offer cashback rewards. Getting a student credit card is one of the best ways to start building your credit history early.

Food is one of the biggest expenses for students. These discounts and strategies can save you hundreds of dollars per semester.

• McDonald's — Many locations offer 10% off with a student ID. Ask at the counter; it's not always advertised.
• Subway — Student discount varies by location. Some offer 10% off, others have student meal deals. Always ask.
• Pizza Pizza — Student pricing and promotions, especially near campuses. Check the app for deals.
• Burger King — Student discounts at select locations, usually 10% off.
• UNiDAYS and Student Beans — Free apps that aggregate student discounts for food chains, delivery services, and grocery brands. Sign up with your school email.
• SPC (Student Price Card) — $10/year and gives you discounts at dozens of food chains including A&W, Swiss Chalet, Harvey's, Montana's, and Kelsey's.
• Flashfood — Not student-specific, but essential for students. Buy discounted groceries (30–50% off) that are nearing their best-before date from stores like Real Canadian Superstore, Loblaws, and No Frills.
• Too Good To Go — Surprise bags of unsold food from bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores for $4–$7 (worth $15–$25+). Perfect for students on a budget.

Getting around as a student doesn't have to drain your wallet. Most Canadian cities offer significant transit discounts, and there are deals on intercity travel too.

• University transit passes (U-Pass) — Many schools negotiate bulk transit passes included in your tuition fees. Vancouver's TransLink U-Pass is one of the best deals in the country. Check if your school participates.
• City transit student passes — Toronto (TTC), Ottawa (OC Transpo), Montreal (STM), Calgary, Edmonton, and most other cities offer discounted monthly passes for post-secondary students. Usually 20–35% cheaper than adult passes.
• VIA Rail — Students save 10–25% on economy fares. Book online with a student discount code or show your student ID at the station. The 6-trip corridor pass is great for students travelling between cities regularly.
• FlixBus — Frequently offers student deals and promo codes. A budget alternative for intercity travel.
• Auto insurance — Some provinces and insurers offer a "good student discount" (typically 5–15% off) if you maintain a B average or higher. Ask your insurance provider.
• Car-sharing — Communauto and Zipcar both offer student plans. Much cheaper than owning a car if you only drive occasionally.
• Bike share — Most cities with bike share programs (Toronto Bike Share, Mobi by Shaw in Vancouver, BIXI in Montreal) offer discounted student annual memberships.

From everyday clothing to electronics, there are student discounts hiding everywhere. The trick is knowing where to look and always asking.

• SPC (Student Price Card) — $10/year for discounts at hundreds of Canadian retailers including Foot Locker, American Eagle, Garage, Dynamite, Aldo, and many more. Pays for itself after one or two purchases.
• UNiDAYS — Free. Sign up with your school email for discounts at ASOS (10–15% off), Adidas (up to 30% off), Nike (10% off), Samsung, and hundreds more.
• Student Beans — Similar to UNiDAYS. Free sign-up, discounts at different brands. Use both to maximize your options.
• ASOS — 10–15% student discount through UNiDAYS, stacks with sale items.
• Adidas — Up to 30% off through the UNiDAYS student program.
• Nike — 10% student discount through UNiDAYS.
• Apple Education Store — Already mentioned above, but worth repeating. Save on all Apple hardware.
• Samsung Education Store — Discounts on phones, tablets, earbuds, and laptops.
• Best Buy Student Deals — Periodic student pricing events, especially at back-to-school season.

Entertainment subscriptions add up fast. Here's how to cut those costs as a student.

Many museums, galleries, and cultural institutions offer free or discounted entry with a student ID. In most major Canadian cities, students get into the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, National Gallery of Canada, and many local museums for reduced prices or free on certain days.

Health coverage is one of those things students often don't think about until they need it. Here's what you need to know.

• Provincial health insurance — If you're a Canadian resident and student, you're covered by your province's health plan (OHIP, RAMQ, MSP, etc.). This covers doctor visits, hospital stays, and medically necessary procedures.
• School health and dental plan — Most colleges and universities automatically enroll you in an extended health and dental plan as part of your student fees. This typically covers prescriptions, dental cleanings, vision care, mental health services, and paramedical services (massage, physio, chiropractic).
• International students (UHIP/UHCIP) — If you're an international student without provincial health coverage, your school will enroll you in UHIP (University Health Insurance Plan) or equivalent. This is mandatory and covers basic medical services.
• Renter's insurance — Student-focused renter's insurance starts as low as $12–$20/month and covers your belongings (laptop, phone, furniture) against theft, fire, and water damage. Some providers like Square One and Sonnet offer student-friendly plans.

The students who save the most money aren't just using one or two discounts — they're systematic about it. Here's the playbook.

1. 1Always ask "do you have a student discount?" — Many businesses offer them but don't advertise it. You'd be surprised how often the answer is yes.
2. 2Sign up for UNiDAYS, Student Beans, and SPC on day one — These three platforms cover hundreds of Canadian and international brands between them.
3. 3Use your .edu email for every software and service signup — Even if a student discount isn't advertised, many companies automatically detect school email addresses and offer deals.
4. 4Check your school's free resources — Libraries offer way more than books: free access to LinkedIn Learning, Grammarly, newspapers, research databases, 3D printers, recording studios, and equipment loans.
5. 5Keep your student ID and email active as long as possible after graduating — Discounts often keep working until your email is deactivated. Some schools let alumni keep their email permanently.
6. 6Stack discounts whenever possible — Student discount + sale price + cashback credit card + Rakuten = maximum savings on every purchase.
7. 7Never buy new textbooks at the campus bookstore — Rent from Amazon or Chegg, buy used from upper-year students, check if the library has a copy on course reserve, or find an older edition (often identical content).
8. 8Use student tax credits — The tuition tax credit (T2202) and the Canada Training Credit can put real money back in your pocket at tax time. See our Student Finances guide for details.