Next week, students on a budget may be able to afford something more substantial than ramen noodles.
University Beyond will host the first National Student Discount Day on Feb. 5 after postponing it one week due to the harsh weather in the Northeast. More than 120 participating brands ranging from Pearson Education to Amazon will offer discounts to students entirely online.
“We just want attraction to our name so that students realize that these are companies that offer not only great deals, but also opportunities to work for them,” said Brendan Carter, head of business development at University Beyond.
University Beyond is a New York-based company that aims to foster connections between students and professional organizations.
In doing so, the company hopes to encourage networking and participation in campus ambassadorship programs.
Students can find a detailed explanation of all the deals offered on the National Student Discount Day Twitter account, @UBNSDD. After logging into the website with an .edu email address, students can click on a company logo to be redirected to the company’s site. The discounts will automatically be applied at checkout, Carter said.
The Twitter account continually shares promotions for brands such as Billabong, Spotify and The Wall Street Journal.
Carter said he and his partners hope to include 10 extra major brands — like Gap and Banana Republic — now that the event has grown so large.
“Now, going forward, we have the extra week to go after the big fish we had prior contact with,” he said.
Nicholas Angelone, a UF phychology junior, said he is willing to participate in anything that could save him money. He said National Student Discount Day could be the new Black Friday for college students.
“Most of our money goes to tuition, books and rent,” Angelone, 21, said. “At the end of the day, there’s not a lot left for pleasure. I’m a broke college student, so I’ll take what I can get.”
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 1/27/2015 under the headline “Nat’l deal day will give students break" This story was changed to reflect the updated day, Feb. 5, rather than Feb. 6]
Fifty percent off magazine subscriptions from publications like Glamour and GQ
Discounted iHome products
Textbook rentals from Book Renter
Eighty percent off New Balance products
Fifty percent off Spotify Premium
Fifteen weeks of The Wall Street Journal for $15
$25 off a first Uber ride
