Score Free Stuff on Campus

By Lauren Joffe, New York University

It’s no urban legend: Free stuff is doled out on college campuses all the time. But it’s up to you to scout out where to find these complementary goods. From pizza to plane tickets to straight-up cash, we show you what you can get and how to score it … so keep reading.

Free Entertainment
Get tickets to concerts, sporting events, art exhibits, theater openings, forums and lectures.

How to score: Use your student ID card as an all-access pass. Every campus has a student union building, and if you’re unfamiliar with it, we suggest you become acquainted, since it’s plastered with bulletin boards announcing free upcoming events for students.

Free Food
Get free pizza, soda, snacks or breakfast, depending on the time of day.

How to score: Attend club meetings. “If you look in your student building and sign up for all the listservs, you will know when clubs and residence halls are giving away free food,” says New York University sophomore Doreen Naor. “With breakfast, you can basically always get muffins and coffee, and for real meals, most clubs give out pizza.” Join three clubs that meet weekly, and you’re looking at three regularly scheduled meals.

We also like CampusFood.com, where you can play online games that earn coupons for your next restaurant visit. A few clicks at a mindless computer game, and you can have yourself a free meal. Not too shabby!

Free Cash
Earn hard cash (typically from $5 to $10 for about an hour of your time -- could be up to $100). No taxes taken out, no checks.

How to score: Participate in a focus group or study, which typically requires very little effort, such as filling out an easy survey. Head over to the campus psychology building, where you’ll find volunteer recruitment flyers.

Focus group companies pay more for your input. If your school is in a metropolitan area, check out focus group centers in need of college student participants. Go to FindFocusgroups.com to scope out opportunities near you.

Free Swag
Pick up product samples, coupons, gift certificates and other giveaway items, including iTunes cards, DVD players and even airline tickets.

How to score: “All you have to do is open your eyes and pay attention,” says NYU junior Annie Baer. “There are always people giving away free things [on campus].” Marketing companies often hire student reps to hold major promotions that often include giveaways and contests on college campuses. Next time you see a student rep giving out samples, ask if the campaign offers any other giveaways.

Note: You can get updates about sponsored events and contests directly from the source. By becoming a Facebook fan of brands or products you like, you can get automatic updates about big promotions and giveaways, and be the first to know about any contests they might be hosting.