Welcome to college! As you will come to learn, this place is a swell of bountiful opportunities. There are endless possibilities when you become a college student, however, a lot of these possibilities cost money. 

The longer you stay here at OSU, the more you will come to learn that everything can be quite expensive. From textbooks, school supplies, meal plans, living plans and whatever else you can imagine, everything comes with a price tag. In order to prevent students from entering a life of financial chaos, here is a little guide for saving money that will hopefully aid in preventing that dollar bill crisis.

A great program that saves thousands of students’ money at grocery or convenience stores is SNAP food benefits. SNAP is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and offers $140 every month to spend at the grocery store of your choice. Of course it would be a good idea to ask the store if they accept SNAP since some do not accept that form of payment. 

Additionally, signing up for SNAP is not difficult in the slightest. Follow the on-screen prompts, and you will be led to a month’s worth of fresh food. An important aspect of the program is financial need and student circumstances being evaluated for qualification. 

One helpful resource on campus for struggling students is the Human Services Resource Center, who have specific employees to help students sign up for SNAPS. Created to ensure food benefits and other possibilities deemed impossible for some students, the HSRC makes it their job to provide aid to whoever qualifies. The HSRC offers opportunities such as mealbux and their food pantry to supply OSU students with food. If you think you need this type of assistance, please take a look at their webpage.  

Other than for groceries, there are countless more discounts across the Corvallis community. A great resource for any new student in any year is the 2020 Fall Student Survival Kit that is delivered during the move-in week. 

This survival guide provides the reader with pages of coupons, discounts and deals that are found all over the city. Not only does it provide the reader with many deals, it also shows what Corvallis has to offer. Opportunities range from restaurants to haircuts to coffee stores, are all stored within this small pamphlet. 

The Student Survival Kit is a must use resource in order to save tons of money during your first couple of months here at OSU. If you do not receive a Student Survival Kit in either your move-in date or in your mail, then you can access it via the app store on your iPhone or Android. All you have to do is search “New Student Survival Kit” and then download it onto your phone in order to access every single coupon and deal that the physical copy provides. 

For more specific locations, here are a few great options in the Corvallis community! 

Pie Five Pizza Co. offers low prices for quality pizza. You can get two large pizzas with up to 3 toppings each for only $20! 

Another small business for any fans of the gaming industry, or anybody looking for a deal on mousepads and wall tapestries is Inked Gaming. Right now they are offering 15% off for any OSU student for mousepads and wall tapestries. All you have to do is go onto their website, inkedgaming.com, and enter the code word GOBEAVS during checkout.