As a student, but especially an international student, finances are going to be something on your mind on a regular basis.
Whether it's trying to train your brain to not automatically convert a price tag you see on an item up here in Canada to your local currency, to dreading paying your international student tuition fees which are essentially car and mortgage payments - money can play a big role in your life in Toronto and/or Canada.
Despite having some heavy fees you have to cover as an international student, having that student status does also carry some perks, and by perks, I mean DISCOUNTS!
Warning: This is a pretty long blog post ahead, so I've divided it into two separate posts, a Part 1 and a Part 2, since I wanted to give you all as much detail as possible to help you make those dollar saving decisions!
Whenever you have a chance, carve out some time in your day to make note of the places I'm going to mention below that provide discounts to university/college students. Trust me when I say these savings can really help down the line, because every dollar counts.
I wish I took more advantage of the perks that come with having full-time student status, so please, don't be like me!
This list I've complied, is of places I know you can get discounts by being a full-time student within Toronto and the GTA, but you can also check the end of the second post, Part 2 of the "Student discounts and 10 places you can find them," for a link that contains a list of student discounts you can get all over Canada!
To help with the scrolling in advance across the two posts, here's the short list of all the discounts I'll be discussing within the two parts below:
PART 1: (Expanded on below)
Student Banking Account @ $0.00CAD/Month
Spotify Premium Student Discount @ $4.99CAD/Month
Apple Music Student Subscription @ $4.99CAD/Month
Amazon Prime Student Membership @ $4.99CAD/Month
Apple Products: Higher Education Discount (Prices and products will vary)
PART 2: Tap here to go to the "Student discounts and 10 places you can find them," PART 2 post.
6. Toronto Transit: TTC Post-Secondary Monthly Pass @$128.15CAD/Month
7. Adobe Creative cloud savings for students @ $25.99CAD/Month
8. Microsoft Office 365 Student plans ranging from $0.00CAD - $8.00CAD/Month
9. SPC Student Discount Card at participating locations @ $10.00CAD/Year
10. International Student Identity Card (ISIC) @ $20.00CAD/Year (Or free for certain schools)
1. Major Banks in Canada: Student Banking Account @ $0.00CAD/Month
Depending on which bank you decide to open your student banking account(s) with when you arrive in Canada, one of the perks offered by many of the big name banks such as Scotiabank, TD, CIBC and others is that you pay $0 in monthly fees as long as you maintain your student status (conditions will vary based on the bank.)
Student status usually refers to having full-time student status, but I'd advise you confirm with your bank to be certain, as well as with your educational institution to determine what is considered a full-time student. (This is typically based on the number of credits you take per academic year/semester.)
Once you've graduated, you'll then have to pay monthly fees to maintain your banking account(s), but the final amount you'll pay all boils down to which bank you choose, the type of account you open, and whether you decide to keep a similar account in terms of what perks are offered, or upgrade to a different one.
At Scotiabank for example, they ask you every year to provide proof of enrolment to ensure you're still in school full-time to maintain your free student banking account.
However, once your student status is no more, or if they haven't received a proof of enrolment letter from you, you'll usually get a heads up for when they'll begin charging you service fees to continue using your account.
This email below is one I got back in second year when I didn't know at the time I had to send them my proof of enrollment yearly.
But right now, you're still in school and don't have to worry about monthly charges just yet, so take advantage of those $0 monthly fees!
2. Spotify Premium: Student discount @ $4.99CAD/month
For all the music lovers out there, there are a couple music streaming platforms and apps available to you here in Canada. Spotify and Apple Music are some of the most popular options.
With Spotify, it's free for anyone to use, however the free version does come with some limitations. With a Spotify Premium account you get full, unlimited access to everything the platform has to offer, paired with the removal of all ads, and the ability to download music and podcasts to listen to offline.
Yes, this comes with a fee, but luckily for you as a student, you can get Spotify Premium at a discounted rate! - Instead of paying $9.99CAD a month to stream all your favourite songs, albums and podcasts, you'll only be charged $4.99 a month (plus tax which comes up to a total of $5.64CAD)
If you're a brand new Spotify user signing up for Spotify Premium for the first time, and you live outside of Quebec, you can also get your first month of premium access for free so you can feel it out, and determine if you like it or not.
The last time I had to verify my student status, I was prompted to sign into my university email account. In some cases, additional information may be requested, such as an official enrollment letter from your academic institution, a transcript that shows classes currently in progress or more, but in general, verifying your student status with Spotify is relatively easy.
When it comes time to re-verify your student status, you usually get an email from Spotify giving you a heads up. To confirm when next you would need to verify your student status, just tap here, log into your account, and they'll provide you with a date.
According to the website, you can only renew your Spotify Premium at the discounted student rate for up to 4 years maximum. After the four years, whether you're still in school or not, you'll be charged the individual monthly Spotify Premium rate of $9.99 unless you cancel.
If you're no longer in school and/or unable to verify your student status, you'll also be automatically be switched over to the non-discounted individual plan for $9.99 + tax on the next billing cycle.
In addition to the individual plan, Spotify also offers shared plans (2 people) for $12.99/month, and family plans (6 people) for $16.99/month, but the student discount plan is the cheapest of all Premium Spotify Plans if you're looking to compare costs.
If for any reason you want to close your Spotify account, Tap here for more information on cancelling a Spotify premium account. Note that after cancelling, you'll still have access to all the perks of having a premium account just up to the last day of your current billing cycle, (eg. you were charged monthly for Spotify on the 5th of every month, and you cancelled on the 10th of March, you have till the 4th of April to continue using Premium Spotify, and on the 5th of April, you'll be automatically reverted to the free version.)
Note that if you need to close your Premium account, there are no additional charges, and you can cancel at anytime.
Tap here if you want to sign up for Spotify Premium Student Discount.
3. Apple Music: Student Subscription @ $4.99CAD/Month
Still on the topic of music streaming, if Spotify isn't your cup of tea, you also have the option of the other equally as popular streaming platform and app - Apple music.
Note that with Apple music, there is no free version of the streaming service (aside from the free trial.) If you don't have a paid subscription to Apple Music, you can't do much.
Apple Music also offers a student subscription/discount. According to the Apple page; "Students enrolled in degree-granting universities and colleges can join Apple Music at a discounted monthly rate for up to 48 months. And if you have an Apple Music student subscription, you also get Apple TV+ for a limited time."
Similarly to Spotify, an Apple Music student subscription costs $4.99CAD a month + tax.
When signing up, you'll be required to verify your student status through another platform called UNiDAYS, or, by signing into your institution's portal by logging into your school email account.
Once you've graduated or are no longer in school, Apple's website states that "If you're no longer a student or if you complete 48 months of a student subscription, your subscription automatically becomes an Apple Music individual subscription and you lose free access to Apple TV+."
For new subscribers to Apple Music, they offer one month of free access to the streaming service. Tap here for more information. As a new subscriber, you can also get up to 6 months free access with a recent purchase of AirPods, HomePods or Beats - Tap here for more information on that.
If you're no longer able to verify your student status, you'll be automatically reverted to the individual plan for $9.99CAD. Apple Music also offers a family plan for 6 people at $14.99/month. The service has no ads whatsoever so you can stream to your heart's content.
If you need to cancel your subscription/plan, tap here for a step-by-step guide. You'll be able to access your Apple Music library just until the last day of your current monthly billing cycle, but after that, you'll lose all access your music library, albums and any playlists created.
Tap here if you want to sign up for the Apple Music student subscription.
4. Amazon: Amazon Prime Student Membership @ $4.99CAD/Month
Amazon is super effective for buying almost anything you can think of, but Amazon Prime, and the perks that come with it are even better.
You can become an Amazon Prime member through their student prime discount, for $4.99CAD/Month and be able to access perks such as Free Same day or One-Day Delivery for selected items over $25, meaning you could order something at 9am and it could get there as early as 6pm-7pm later that same day.
As long as you maintain a Prime Membership, you also get access to a number of offers and deals, in addition to free access to some of Amazon's additional platforms such as Prime Video (A streaming service with a number of familiar TV shows and movies and Amazon Original content) Amazon Music (another music streaming platform similar to Spotify and Apple Music) and Prime Reading, where you can find hundreds of books in any genre.
Lastly, as a Prime member, you get access to Prime day! This is Amazon's biggest event of the year, where they hold an annual sale with a number of deals on lots of items, and you can only access Prime day and the best deals they have to offer, with an Amazon Prime membership.
In order to sign up at this discounted rate, you'll have to verify your student status. When verifying your information, according to the website, you may be asked for information ranging from your student ID, to an official acceptance letter. For a list of all the documentation that is accepted to become a member of Amazon Student Prime in Canada, please tap here.
Amazon offers a 6 month free-trial of Student Prime for new members, after which you'll be charged $4.99CAD/month, or you can opt for annual plan of $49.99CAD/year. Same perks of a Prime membership either way.
Once you're no longer able to verify your student status, your monthly charge with no discount goes up to $9.99CAD/month, but the perks don't change.
Cancelling the membership is pretty simple again, you just have to go to "Manage Prime membership" and click "End Membership" and that's it.
Just like the other services on this list, if you cancel your membership, you'll still be able to access all the perks of a Prime membership just until the last day of your current monthly billing cycle. After then you're reverted back to a regular Amazon account and any limitations.
Tap here if you want to sign up for Amazon Canada Prime Student.
5. Apple Products: Higher Education Discount on Macs, iMacs and iPads (Prices will vary based on the item)
Canada is one of the countries where you can access the education pricing and student discounts on certain Apple products. With these discounts, you can save some money on purchasing MacBooks, iMacs or the latest generations of iPads.
According to the Apple website, those eligible for this discount on these products include: "Current and newly accepted university students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff and homeschool teachers at all levels."
Tap here to see the price list of all items available through the Higher Education Discount.
For example, a MacBook Air with the Higher Education discount goes from $1,299.00, to $1,169.00. Or an iPad Pro with the discount goes from $999.99CAD, to $939.00CAD.
It's not the biggest difference as far as discounts go, but with Apple products and the high additional taxes added onto these already pricey products, any dollar you can get off can still help make a difference if you're looking to buy one of these products.
As expected, you'll have to verify your student status. When I purchased a new MacBook Air back in 2019 using the Higher Education discount, I purchased it in store and the employee asked to view my Student ID card to make sure it hadn't expired, and I was also asked to sign into my university student email account.
I'm unsure if the process has changed since then, but Apple support is usually quite simple to get in contact with if you're ever uncertain and want to ask any questions. Tap here for the Apple support link. For even faster replies, you can also call or visit your closest Apple store to find out more information as well.