Getting Software for Free in College

Are you a college student trying to find some software to use for class? If so, you may be able to get everything you need right from your university. A lot of colleges have special software programs that allow students to download programs to use absolutely free. I have never paid for Microsoft Office because I know I can get it from my former college. All I have to do is download it any time I get a new computer. You may be able to do the same thing for a program you need for school. The guide below will explain the basic process you may go through to do this.

Create a School Account

You should have an account of some sort that allows you to have access to information at the school. This is the account you use to check your emails from the school. It may also be the account you use to access online classes if you go to a school like Herzing University online. If you don't have an account, you won't be able to access the free software downloads. Try to create one before you go about the steps below.

Find the Software

If you have an account, you will be able to access the free software your school offers. First you have to actually find the place where you can go to download the software. Try to go to the IT page for the school website as that will most likely be the place where you can find the software. Once you're there, look for something along the lines of a "software distribution center." If you can't find that, you may want to use the search bar for the website to locate "software" or "downloadable software." Either of those options should point you in the right direction.

Understand the Downloading Terms

Some schools will only allow you to download one software program for free, and then you will have to pay for the rest. Others will allow you to download anything for free but you will have to pay if you want a hard copy sent to your home. You need to make sure you understand the policy your school uses before you download your first program. Otherwise you may force yourself to spend $100 on a second program when you could have gotten it for free.

Download the Software

When you know which program you want to download, you should be able to just click a "download" button. You may have to sign into your account after that to verify your identity, but then you can put the software right on your computer. It will probably come in a .exe file or a folder with a .exe in it. If it comes in a folder, check for a "read me" document, as that will outline what you need to do to complete the download. If that doesn’t happen, simply double click on the .exe when it gets to your computer so it can install the program on your computer.

From there, all you have to do is use the program like you wanted to. If you need to get something else from the school's website, you can download it in the same manner. This will not work for everyone because not all schools offer online downloads. For those that do though, you could get some expensive software for no money at all. I have done it for years, and I'm not even in college anymore. Is that cheating the system? Maybe. I won't tell if you won't though (wink).