From nearby restaurants to online subscriptions, your student ID can get you far.

As a student in NYC, it can sometimes feel impossible to step foot outside of campus without spending too much money. Exploring all the city has to offer is one of the best parts of freshman year—but how do you do so on a budget?

To help you get started is a guide to some of the discounts, deals, and freebies available to you with a Columbia/Barnard student ID and .edu email. Some of these are specific to Morningside Heights, while others are noteworthy deals available to all college students. Also, a side note: some of the deals listed below may be limited time, so if you’re reading this after the fall of 2025, double check to make sure the offer is still active! 

Stores and restaurants near campus

• Bwog’s list of Coffee Deals And Discounts Around Campus
• Columbia Culinary Society Restaurant Week: Limited-time discounts for CUID holders at local restaurants. Check out Bwog’s past coverage here!
• Columbia Opticians Inc.: CUID discount on frames and lenses.
• The Calaveras: CUID discount.
• Tartina Restaurant: CUID discount.
• Innovation Bike Shop: 5% off with CUID according to Columbia.
• La Constancera: CUID discount.
• Subs Conscious: 10% off with CUID according to Yelp.
• So, so many more: As a rule of thumb, be sure to bring your CUID with you when you go shopping around campus, and don’t be afraid to ask about discounts! Tons of nearby places offer them, even when it’s not advertised online.

New York City-wide discounts

• Columbia Arts Initiative: Free and discounted access to museums, movies, events, Broadway shows, and more!
  • A full list of museums with free Columbia access, including the MET, MOMA, and Paley Center, can be found here.
    • Many more museums in the city not included here (The Whitney, Natural History, etc.) are pay-what-you-wish for NY/NJ students and residents, or have discounted admission hours. Check the ticket information before purchasing if there’s a museum you want to go to that’s not listed above!
  • $12 AMC movie vouchers are available for purchase at the Ticket and Information Center in Lerner Hall (hours)
  • Free tickets to performances are available through their email newsletter
  • Tickets for the Fall 2025 semester go on sale at 11 am on September 5.
• Broadway student rush ticket policies (as of August 2025)
• 5% off tickets to sporting events purchased through TicketSmarter.
  • Many sports teams have discounted student passes and rush tickets as well! Be sure to check out their websites closer to when seasons start for information on how to access them. 

Online media discounts and free access

• $5.99/month access to Spotify Premium and Hulu.
• You can access Adobe Creative Cloud products in various computer labs, and access the premium versions of some Adobe products by signing up with a Columbia or Barnard email address (e.g. premium Adobe PDF reader).
  • For Columbia: licensing information.
  • For Barnard: Contact BCIT with questions.
• Access Microsoft Office through Columbia
• Amazon prime 6-month free trial and reduced student rate.
• Access thousands of films on Kanopy through CU Libraries.
• All-access subscription to the New York Times through CU Libraries.
• Access the Wall Street Journal through CU Libraries (@columbia.edu only).
• Access the Financial Times through CU Libraries.
• Other free library resources

Tech and dorm essentials

• Columbia University Apple Store: Discounts and promotions on Apple products and accessories.
• Columbia computer system recommendations and purchasing information
• Best Buy back-to-school discounts and student discount information
• IKEA 15% off coupon for students (until September 30, 2025)

Travel, moving, and storage

• Zip Car: Free ZipCar membership, gas, and insurance.
• NJ Transit: 25% discount on mobile monthly passes.
• Amtrak: 15% off trips for college students.
• Barnard students can use College Boxes on a 10% discount through Barnard Sustainability, info usually posted on Instagram in the Spring.
• Manhattan Mini Storage runs student discounts in the Spring and Summer

Other tips

• Columbia recommends using The University Network (TUN) to find nearby stores and restaurants with discounts!
• As stated above, many places both near and far from campus have discounts you have to ask for upon checkout. It’s always worth a try (especially at local businesses)!
• There are so many events with free food and free stuff! Keep up to date with student engagement newsletters!

Morningside via Bwog Archives