My Favorite Free Resources for Students

Living that broke college kid life is no joke. You have money for textbooks, food, or a night out with your friends, but not all three. But just because you are broke doesn’t mean you don’t have access to some great resources designed to help you succeed as a student. Here is a quick list of my favorite resources for students, 100% free.

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Free On-Campus Resources for Students

Let’s start with the free resources for students that your college or university likely offers. These are the things you should utilize if you are struggling in a class, worried about writing a paper, or needing a little extra support before a big presentation. Of course, what services your school offerers may vary, but here are the resources you should look for:

College Tutors

Many colleges and universities provide students free access to on-campus or virtual tutors. These tutors are usually peers at your school that have taken the class you need help in and can walk you through your homework. On-campus tutoring is a great place to start if you need specific homework help.

Writing Centers

As a part of your tuition and fees, you likely have access to a writing center on your campus (some offer virtual appointments too). These writing centers help you through the entire writing process, whether you need assistance brainstorming a topic and outline or polishing your final product. These services are 100% free for actively enrolled students.

Speech Centers

Many campuses also have speech centers where students can get help practicing for presentations. Like the writing centers, speech centers support you through all presentation stages, including organization and speaking practice. If you are terrified of public speaking, college speech centers are there to help!

Language Centers

Some universities have language centers designed to help non-native English speakers better communicate in English. While I’ve never used this service, my students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) have benefited from them.

College or University Library

This one may seem obvious, but there are more things you can do at the library than just read or study. Depending on the school, you might be able to borrow laptops, wifi hotspots, and other techy things from your school library. Talk about a great free resource for students! Your library may even give you access to expensive software – like Adobe – for no cost. The UNO library also has a 3D printer students can use (but I’m not sure if it’s free).

Free Online Resources for Students

Below are some free online resources you can likely access as a student. These software and internet services make it easier for you to do well in school without paying a dime. I still use most (if not all) of these today.

Grammarly

You’ll read about Grammarly on this blog a LOT because I love this company. Grammarly is a free editing and proofreading assistant that uses artificial intelligence to identify and fix spelling, grammar, punctuation, engagement, clarity, and delivery mistakes. There is a paid version of Grammarly (which I use), but the free version is great too. I used the free version all through college, although I would have greatly benefited from the paid version.

I only use the web-based writing assistant, but you can also get Grammarly for Windows, Grammarly’s Free Browser Extension, and MS Office Plug-In. These allow Grammarly to check your writing when your doing other things on your computer, like drafting an email.

Canva

Canva is another online company I swear by (also not sponsored). Canva is a free graphic design platform where you can create presentations, posters, documents, social media graphics, and more. The purpose behind Canva was to give people access to graphic design without breaking the bank. As a student, I mainly used Canva to create visually-appealing presentations. As a teacher and entrepreneur, I use Canva for website graphics, Pinterest images, and lecture slides. There is a paid version of Canva, but I prefer to use the free version and have for years.

Online University Library

I would bet money (not a lot, but some) that your school also has an online library. Online libraries are great for many reasons, but perhaps the best is that they give you free access to books, research articles, and academic journals. At some point in your college career, you will need to access peer-reviewed literature or academic books, and you don’t have to pay for them. Use your online library!

Online Public Library

Your city or state may have a free online library you can access with your library card. Online public libraries are great for accessing popular books and magazines. I don’t use my online public library for school or work, but it’s worth mentioning.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar is not my favorite resource, but I wanted to list it regardless. Google Scholar is a search engine that only shows academic (or scholarly) books and articles related to your search terms. Google Scholar is great for finding articles and books to read, but you will likely have to pay for them to access the full text. I recommend using Google Scholar as a search tool and your school’s online library to access the books and articles you find.

Notion, Evernote, Google Docs, or Microsoft OneNote

I want to bundle these into one section because these different apps are all geared towards note-taking. I use Notion to take all of my notes (I’m writing this blog in Notion), but I’ve used Evernote, Google Docs, and OneNote. Notion, Evernote, and Google Docs are free (with paid upgrades). Microsoft Word and OneNote may be available to you for free through your university, but they cost if you have to get them on your own. Evernote is probably the easiest to set up and use, while Notion is probably the most difficult. However, Notion gives you more freedom and customization for note-taking once you get over the initial learning curve.

Free Health & Wellness Resources for Students

In the final section of this post, I want to focus on the free resources available to students that don’t necessarily fall into the categories above. For example, mental health services, food pantries, and gym memberships are all included here. While these don’t technically help you with your homework, these services may help you be a happier, healthier, and more supported student.

Mental Health Services

Many schools offer free mental health counseling on campus. These services are usually completely free (at least for the first few appointments) and are with licensed mental health practitioners. If you are overwhelmed or struggling, I highly recommend you utilize these services. I’m a huge advocate of therapy, so if you’re hesitant, send me an email. I’ve been in therapy for over a year now, and I wish I would have gone sooner.

On-Campus Health Clinics

Along with mental health services, colleges usually have a free clinic on campus that operates like a family doctor. You can go there if you feel sick, sprain your ankle, or need to chat with a doctor. These on-campus clinics are usually free for students but always check before you go.

Food Pantry

I am not sure if this is available at all schools, but UNO offers a Maverick Food Pantry where students can get food and other supplies if they struggle financially. If you are having a tough month or worried about not being able to eat, see if your school has a food pantry. You can also visit your local/community food pantries for supplies.

Gym Memberships, Online Yoga Classes, Etc.

If yoga, meditation, or physical exercise is your jam, you may have access to free memberships or classes as a college student. Your campus gym may provide free memberships to all students, and it’s easy to find yoga classes online. If this interests you, make sure you look into what your school offers. Here are a few yoga teachers on YouTube I follow: Yoga with Adrianne and Yoga with Ally Van Fossen.

College Discounts

This one isn’t technically free, but many local and national businesses will offer extra discounts to people with a current student ID or university email. If you are already paying for something, it doesn’t hurt to ask if you get an extra discount as a student!

My final thoughts…

As a student, you have a lot of free resources at your disposal. On top of all the resources mentioned above, you may also have friends, family, classmates, teachers, and academic advisors who are there to support and help you. Sometimes the best free resource at your disposal is a classmate from whom you can get notes, study, and vent about annoying teachers or difficult assignments. These people make up your network, and your network is there for you to lean on when you need help.

Another free resource you have at your disposal is this blog. I write about study tips, making the most of college, and how to get better grades. My newsletter is also a free resource for students. I hate spam, so I’m careful to only send out newsletters when I can pack them full of useful information.

Did I miss any great free resources for students? Drop them below!