Student benefits you may not know about: from public transport discounts to cheaper meals at favourite restaurants

Talks that life is becoming harder and harder for students are very frequent. Some are plagued by high rent, others complain that food, various entertainment, and even the most basic services are getting more expensive. However, Lithuanian students do have some privileges, and all of them are readily available. But do students use them, and if not, what’s stopping them?

The only official document confirming the status of a Lithuanian student

The Lithuanian Student Identity Card (LSIC) is simply a must for every student in Lithuania. It gives various discounts and benefits that are really useful in this period of life. According to Mantas Gutauskas, member of the Lithuanian National Union of Students and LSIC membership representative, the LSIC is very simple to obtain – just register on the website www.lsp.lt.

“You only need to provide the main data – name, surname, and personal number and upload a photo – because we get all the information about the student’s studies from the Student Registry,” he said.

According to Gutauskas, when all the required information has been entered into the LSIC database, the student pays for the LSIC and simply waits for it to be made.

“When the student provides the aforementioned data, and we get the information regarding their studies from the Student Registry, the student pays EUR 8–20, depending on the type (cycle) of studies. Normally, the manufacturing process takes 4–15 days, and the brand new LSIC can be collected at our offices or delivered by a courier for an additional fee,” Gutauskas explained.

Discounts and benefits are aplenty

Gutauskas adds that students usually obtain the LSIC for public transport discounts and simply forget about the other available benefits, which is a mistake because the usefulness of the LSIC does not end with public transport discounts.

“We have a lot of partners that offer discounts on their services or goods with the LSIC, and the number of partners is constantly growing. We inform students about discounts and special offers via email, text messages, and posts on the LSIC social media,” he said and indicated that all the discounts and benefits were listed on the LSIC website.

“We also have discounts at supermarkets, theatres, entertainment parks, museums, etc. As I have already mentioned, the number of partners is constantly growing, and we are doing our best to find more,” Gutauskas claimed.

Sure, the LSIC is not compulsory for every student, but it is the only official document proving the student’s status; therefore, it is of great importance.

“The majority of institutions of higher education have also integrated the LSIC into their infrastructure, i.e. you need it in order to use the library, take books home, and enter certain premises and dormitories. Besides the benefits, it is also a key of sorts, allowing students to move freely in their respective institution of higher education,” the member of the Lithuanian National Union of Students said.

And although all the arrangements with partners and their discounts are only available in Lithuania, foreigners who come to study in Lithuania can also get the LSIC.

“Full-time students from abroad are also ordering the LSIC because they are planning to stay in Lithuania for the entire duration of their studies. Exchange students (e.g. via ERASMUS) don’t really need it because usually they are staying in Lithuania for a relatively short period, plus, their university is not based in Lithuania,” he explained.

As Gutauskas has mentioned earlier, the list of discounts and benefits is constantly getting bigger, and students often get new offers.

“Since we are students ourselves, I think that we have a pretty good understanding of what we want. Upon receiving an offer, we discuss it with colleagues, but the most important thing is for students to get discounts and opportunities to try as many services and types of entertainment during their studies,” he stated.

LSIC – what is it?

Even though the benefits of the LSIC are substantial, it is not the only document that provides advantages to students. In Lithuania, some students use the International Student Identity Card (ISIC). According to ISIC representatives, it is the only international student identity card in the world and provides over 150,000 VIP discounts in Lithuania and abroad.

“The goal of the ISIC is to turn being a student into a memorable, fun, and easy stage of life. And the goal is achievable because with the ISIC you get discounts and benefits pretty much everywhere,” said the Head of the ISIC office in Lithuania Joana Jankunaite.

Besides cheaper public transportation (80% discount, just like with the LSIC), ISIC partners also offer other benefits.

“The ISIC discount partners make sure that at the end of each hard day students can take a break and use exclusive discount offers. The ISIC has a special feature – even if you have left it at home, you can still get benefits by showing a virtual ISIC via an app. The virtual ISIC is really easy and simple to use since all of the most important information can be found in one place,” Jankunaite said.

Getting the ISIC is no hassle – just fill in a form on the website. It will only take a few minutes and the virtual ISIC will be created in just five minutes. What is more, teachers and young pupils, too, can benefit from the ISIC.

“Any full-time or part-time student, studying at a university or college, may obtain it. The ISIC is also available to pupils of general schools and vocational schools who are at least 12 years of age and all teachers,” explained Mintare Cicenainte, the ISIC coordinator.

Cheaper food and entertainment

According to Marketing Coordinator at the ISIC office in Lithuania, Dominyka Slapsyte, students benefit from the ISIC in all kinds of places.

“They have fun at Action! By Apollo and Vichy Aqua Park, watch the latest movies at Apollo cinemas, pay less at Hessburger, McDonald’s, CandyPOP, and Formosa, go to Sportland for stylish clothing and browse the Internet for free with the Pildyk plan for students,” she said.

What is more, the benefits of the ISIC do not end in Lithuania.

“It is international and valid in another 130 countries besides Lithuania. When abroad, students can visit museums and the most famous sites for cheaper and use offers from such brands as Samsung, Booking.com, Starbucks, Europcar, Spotify, and Disney+,” Slapsyte added.

Looking at the opportunities offered by the ISIC, it seems that everyone would want to use them. And yet Jankunaite has noticed that students sometimes simply forget to do so.

“We urge students to be more active and frequently check if a venue offers discounts for holders of the ISIC. This can be easily done by downloading the ISIC app, which has all of the partners listed. Another option is to subscribe the ISIC newsletter and be the first to get the latest offers,” she noted.

Slapsyte also said that the ISIC team works hard every day to ensure that students get discount offers at their favourite spots.

“We are constantly expanding the list of partners to make the life of students easier. We value the opinion of every student; therefore, we listen to all wishes and contact brands that are popular among students,” she claimed.

As the marketing coordinator puts it, recommendations from students are always welcome and can be submitted via email.

Quality leisure time and assistance provided to students are important to their emotional health and academic results. That is why the government and organizations should take care of their youth and give them opportunities to live an easier life, travel the world, and experience wonderful moments.