Being a student in college/university is expensive, time-consuming, and can make it feel nearly impossible to travel sometimes. Lucky for me, I’m stubborn and refuse to go even half a year without traveling… so I’ve learned how to make travel work even when you’re a broke university student. Let’s get into it, shall we?

Look for opportunities within your college/university to travel

No, I’m not necessarily talking about studying abroad, though it can be a good option for some people. I found that for me, study abroad didn’t seem worth it. It was so much more expensive than just traveling because you’re paying the traveling costs plus tuition costs. For those with sufficient funds it can work great because then you don’t have to take time away from school to travel, but for me it was far too expensive.

What I’m talking about is finding clubs or competitions that have travel involved. For example, I’m in the business school at my university, and I found out that they pay for students to go to nationals in some of the competition clubs. I’ve joined a few of them, and I’ve found that it’s not too hard to qualify for nationals. If your university is anything like mine, you might just get a free trip out of a little bit of work towards a competition!

I’ve used this strategy to travel to Chicago, San Francisco, and different parts of Utah all for free, and there was plenty of time to travel around the actual events for the competitions. Plus, I ended up earning a bit of prize money which helped too!

I might write a post soon about how to find these opportunities and how to know which clubs to join, so stay tuned for that. This isn’t the only way I travel as a student, though.

Apply for Grants, Scholarships, & Travel Funds

A lot of students don’t realize universities literally set aside money for student travel, and sometimes barely anyone applies. Yes, this is similar to the competition/club tip, but you can get creative and with a little research, you could look for ways to get permission to miss classes and some cash for a trip.

You can look for:

• Department travel grants (business school, honors college, etc.)
• Conference funding (especially if you find a way to turn it into a “learning experience”)
• “Professional development” funds
• Alumni-sponsored travel scholarships

Even small awards ($300–$1000) can fully cover a trip if you plan it right. You shouldn’t feel bad asking for this money either- you’re already paying the school a lot in tuition, so it doesn’t hurt to try and get some back.

One of my past roommates who was studying biology was able to get money that sponsored a roadtrip for her, because she was going to visit some zoos and do some animal biology research. It’s possible!

Get a job that includes a bit of travel

I found that between classes, working, getting homework done, and doing all of the other life stuff we have to do as students, it can feel so impossible to fit travel into your schedule. But… what if you could replace one of the things on your list with travel, and have it give you the same benefits? Well, I did exactly that.

Now, if you don’t count visiting local places as travel, this one might not scratch that itch for you, but it might be worth a try!

I was able to get a job as a tour guide in my local city, and it makes it so that I get paid to travel around the local area. That way, I’m getting paid and I don’t need another job, but I get to scratch that travel itch that I have. Sometimes because of my job I get to travel outside of my local area too, which is awesome!

If doing competitions/clubs that help you travel or working a job where you travel don’t seem like good options for you, don’t worry- we’re not at the end of our list yet. There’s plenty of ways that you can make travel happen, but you have to think outside the box.

Stack Your Class Schedule Strategically

This is one of my favorite tips because it’s so possible for so many people.

I fit all of my classes into 2 days per week. I know, that seems pretty insane, especially seeing that this semester I have 6 classes. But, by putting all of my classes on Monday and Wednesday, I’m giving myself a 4 day weekend, and I have Tuesday completely free. This gives me plenty of time for my part-time job AND if I want to do any weekend trips, I can spend enough time to make it worthwhile without having to skip any classes.

There’s lots of reasons that I think putting all of my classes on two days is great, even though it makes for long days on Monday and Wednesday.

Use student discounts/perks to get discounts on hotels, flights, and activities

There’s a lot of places around the world that will let you do a ton of activities for free if you’re under the age of 25. When I was living in France, I got to see so many museums and castles without paying a cent!

If you’re a student (younger or older than 25), you can use your student ID to get discounts on everything travel! When I was visiting Chicago, I got $20 off the ticket for the Field Museum, and there were multiple restaurants that gave me a sizable discount on the food.

If money is the issue for you travelling as a student, use your “student-ness” as a strength and get some great discounts!

Take Advantage of Outdoor Programs

Many universities have outdoor recreation programs that do weekend trips, spring/fall break adventures, and discounted gear rentals. These trips are usually heavily subsidized which makes it way cheaper than paying for everything yourself. Along with that, usually you’re traveling in a group so it makes gas prices per person and places to stay cheaper.

My sister has gone on a lot of these and it’s helped her to do a lot of travel (even to places like Alaska for the longer trips). I’ve done a few camping trips this way and it’s fun and helps save money!

Be careful with these and do your research, though, because there’s a small chance that it’s more expensive than if you just went by yourself. If it seems worth it to go, though, do it!

It’s about your mindset

If you want to travel as a university student, you can do it! I understand how expensive and time-consuming school can be, but with smart planning, good research, and using your student-ness to your advantage, you’ll be able to make it happen.

I hope you get to travel all that you want and more! Good luck with your studies!

Check out my other posts or join my email list for more tips to help you make travel a reality!