By Karla Rodriguez
The average undergraduate in the U.S. spends $19,548 per year to attend a four-year university, according to College Board. The projected annual cost of attendance is even higher at Texas Tech — $25,626 for in-state students and $37,866 for out-of-state students.
But there are perks to being a student that slightly offset high tuition and expenses. One of them is freebies, which are routinely offered both by the university and local businesses.
Laura Duclos shows some of her favorite free buttons she has on her backpack.
Laura Duclos, a senior journalism major, said she appreciates the many free things, such as buttons, which she has received during her time at Texas Tech.
“They are typically really fun or they’ll stand for some kind of opinion that I may agree with, they look really cool,” Duclos said. “I like seeing them on other people’s backpacks and I like putting them on mine because I feel like it’s a fun way to add personality.”
Food is also a welcomed freebie, Duclos said.
“Last semester, I was just walking and someone handed me a Chick-Fil-A sandwich just for fun, so that was nice,” Duclos said. “People also pass out donuts, candy or things like that, and it’s just something that I always remember.”
Karen Urbano, a junior psychology major, said one of the most popular giveaway items is t-shirts.
“One can never have too many free t-shirts,” Urbano said. “That’s one of my favorite things about this school; they are always giving out shirts. I keep them all and also keep things like pens and USB drives because they are useful. I don’t have to go buy any.”
Ricardo Cortez, a junior electronic media and communications major, said his favorite free items are the t-shirts KTXT 88.1 The Raider gives students who volunteer at the radio station.
Ricardo Cortez shows one of his favorite free T-shirts from KTXT The Raider 88.1
“It’s just something I’ve wanted to do, be a broadcaster,” Cortez said. “The fact that I am able to volunteer here, show my support for the radio station while getting experience, then they give me a free T-shirt is nice. They spend the resources for me to learn and also give me free shirts, and I know that costs money.”
The free speech area between the Student Union Building and the Library is one of the best places to grab freebies, Cortez said. Urbano said the Student Wellness Center and the Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreation Center are also hot spots for free items.
“If you follow TechAnnounce, they usually show when and where free stuff will be given out,” Urbano said. “Students can definitely save money, they just have to know where to look.”
Watch this video for more examples of freebies and discounts:
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