College is expensive, and paying for expenses is always on a student’s mind.
When registering for college, students decide which college to attend, what classes to take, and if they’d like to be involved with extracurriculars, causing many to worry about mounting costs.
While Salt Lake Community College offers many scholarship opportunities, the tech world has gotten in on finding ways to help students save their cash outside of the classroom.
In Birmingham, England, brothers James and Michael Eder saw a need to make a media-based forum for undergraduates struggling with money. In 2005, they created a student loyalty program and named it “Student Beans.”
The program, available as a free app download on iPhone and Android devices, helps students save money on food, clothes, and supplies through discounts, coupons and loyalty programs.
According to the Student Beans website, the company “helps brands and services run their own student discount and loyalty programs to connect with over 163 million students across 52 countries to drive student sales.” This means that college students have access to many shops and their discounts from one app.
Elle Recor, a sophomore at Utah Valley University, said she first heard of the program last summer as she struggled to cover tuition and other expenses.
“There were times where I was living off of only loan money,” she said. “I’d be scared to look at my bank account because I couldn’t stand to watch the money trickle out of my account.”
With discounts on items that spanned groceries and other necessities, Recor said Student Beans relieved stress when she needed to do personal shopping.
“It gave me peace of mind knowing that I could save money on things that weren’t school-related as a student,” she said. “Financial aid seemed to only focus on tuition and books when I have groceries and other lifestyle needs to pay for.”
According to the Student Beans website, only current college students may use the discount codes. The app works off of an ID and once an account is created, it will last one year. Each year, students must verify that they are still attending college.
When making an account, students must put in some school information to validate enrollment status.
There are multiple benefits to being a member of Student Beans. Jose Gomez, a college graduate, touched on a few.
“I loved using this app. It was so convenient to have in my pocket [on phone]. When I would go out on dates, I could save on the meals I bought,” he said. “When I needed a new pair of shoes, I could go to their website and see the different discounts they were offering.”
“People say ‘every penny counts’ and as a college student, I agree,” Gomez said. “Nobody understands what it’s like to be a broke college student until they become one.”
