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Reading Time: 5 minutesAmazon offers more than a few loyalty programs out there designed to attract (and retain) Prime members. Hidden in that list is Prime Student, which comes with some major benefits for budget-conscious college students.
Is it worth it? We’ll let you be the judge. Find out everything you need to know about the student spin on Amazon Prime – just in time for Prime Day.
What is Prime Student?
Amazon Prime Student is basically a discounted version of Amazon Prime created specifically for college students. As a Prime Student member, you receive a generous six-month free trial that includes free two-day shipping on millions of items, unlimited streaming of Prime movies and TV shows, unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos and exclusive student deals (more on those perks in a minute).
There are, however, a few notable differences between Prime Student and regular Prime memberships. For starters, Prime Student members can’t share their Prime membership benefits with others. With Amazon Prime, two adults and up to four children from the same household can share their Prime perks. Additionally, Prime Students are ineligible for select Prime benefits, like 20% off diaper subscriptions and 15% off baby registry items.
How Much Does Prime Student Cost and Who Qualifies for It?
Credit: Amazon
Another big difference between Prime memberships and Prime Student memberships is the cost. Amazon Prime comes with a shorter 30-day free trial period versus Prime Student’s six-month trial. After your six-month trial ends, you can then enjoy the perks of Prime for half the price at $59 per year (or $6.49 per month), instead of the regular Prime cost of $119 annually or $12.99 per month.
As for who qualifies for Prime Student, any college student actively enrolled in at least one college course in the United States, Puerto Rico or Washington D.C. is welcome to join.
In order to enroll, you’ll just need to confirm your student status. You can either use a valid .edu email address from a college university or submit alternative verification (like your tuition bill or an official college acceptance letter).
If you already have an Amazon account and are switching to Prime Student, you can just register from within your current account and then verify your student status with your .edu email account.
Try Amazon Prime Student for Free
7 Reasons Why Amazon Prime Student Makes the Grade
Credit: Amazon
1. You can try Prime Student for six months free of charge.
As mentioned above, regular Prime memberships come with a 30-day free trial period, while Prime Student doles out half a year at no cost. Once your six-month trial expires, the $59 annual fee will be applied to your account.
You’ll just need to be mindful of when your membership ends, which either happens when you graduate or once you complete your fourth year of Prime Student — whichever comes first. After that, your membership will automatically renew as a full-priced Amazon Prime subscription.
2. You’ll enjoy exclusive student-only deals.
Amazon paints Prime Student as a money-saver thanks to its exclusive deals for college students. These include markdowns on everything from computers and electronics to dorm room decor and snacks. Plus, Amazon offers exclusive price breaks on its own services.
Here’s a quick roundup of current Prime Student exclusives that caught our eye:
- One year of Prime Video Channels, including Showtime, for $.99/month (reg. $10.99/month)
- Amazon Music Unlimited for $0.99/month (reg. $4.99/month)
- Free access to thousands of books through Prime Reading, including options like Mindy Kaling’s Nothing Like I’d Imagined (Except for Sometimes) book collection
3. Prime Video and Prime Music are both included in your membership.
Credit: Amazon
Access to Prime Video is easily one of the biggest perks of joining the program. You can stream thousands of TV shows and movies on virtually any device. What’s more, Amazon also offers subscription add-ons —including HBO, Showtime and Starz — at discounted prices. Students interested in cutting the cable cord might be in for some extra savings here.
Prime Student now includes Prime Music, as well. That means students can enjoy unlimited access to 2 million songs, plus thousands of stations and playlists — minus those annoying ads.
4. Prime Student gives you unlimited photo storage.
A Prime Student membership will also buy you limitless space via Amazon Photos. This little extra means your pictures will backup automatically for easy accessibility via your phone, tablet or computer. If you’re constantly getting alerts that you’re running out of space on your phone, this perk could be a game-changer.
5. With Prime Student, you can save up to 90% on textbooks.
One of the best things about Prime Student is that it actually draws upon Amazon’s origins with deals centered on books — college textbooks, to be exact. With your membership, you can save up to 90% on these course essentials in new or used condition.
Amazon also offers discounts on eTextbooks, and even lets students rent textbooks each semester, cutting your out-of-pocket costs significantly.
6. Prime Gaming via Twitch is included for free.
Credit: Amazon
When Amazon acquired Twitch, it stood to reason that the platform would end up getting integrated into the Prime experience somehow. Originally called Twitch Prime, Prime Gaming is a premium experience on Twitch that’s included with Amazon Prime and Prime Video memberships — and Prime Students can also get in on the fun.
With Prime Gaming, you’ll enjoy monthly channel subscriptions, member access to select games and in-game loot, as well as up to three additional copies of eligible in-game content to give to others in the community through the Twitch Gift Chest. You’ll also earn exclusive emoticons, a crown for your chat badge and extended broadcast storage that enables you to save your past broadcasts on Twitch for 60 days instead of the standard 14.
One caveat? According to Amazon, “Prime Student members who are currently getting their benefits at no cost only receive a single 30-day free channel subscription with their membership.”
7. Prime Students can shop Amazon Prime Day.
Just like Amazon Prime members, Prime Students can shop all the deals on Prime Day 2020 (which is coming up on October 13th and 14th). And when you consider that we’re predicting this year’s event could be bigger than Black Friday, that’s definitely something to celebrate.
Be sure to bookmark our Prime Day Shopping Guide to stay on top of all the best discounts.
RELATED: 9 Reasons Amazon Prime Day Could Be Better Than Black Friday This Year
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Lesley Sheridan
Lesley Sheridan is a freelance fashion and beauty writer who lives for Pinterest boards, animal prints, strappy shoes and coupon codes. Her bookshelves are filled with Kevyn Aucoin makeup guides, and her favorite band is and will always be INXS. A Kentucky girl at heart, she currently resides just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, with her rescue cats, a boyfriend who wishes he were an astronaut and a dog whose favorite word is “pizza.”