Free Services From Students

Getting free services from students is possible when students need practice as part of their training. They often don’t charge for the services because they’re not professionals yet. However, they are always supervised by professionals. Sometimes the service takes a lot longer than if you were to go to a professional, because the student is still learning the process and there are moments when the supervisor needs to give them instruction. But who can argue with the price? Much of the time its free, and when it isn’t, it’s still cheaper. And though the work may take a long time, it is some of the most thorough work you can get.

Many of the industries where these services are possible are licensed technical trades, some of which specifically require human subjects. Even when a human subject is not required, other services may also be possible. Sometimes the services are offered by the students themselves, or the students have to do the recruiting on their own. Other times the school will have a specific program that will coordinate the service for their students.

Most of the time the services will be offered by professional training programs and graduate students, but in some cases you could potentially find students in high school that can do the job. This will only be the case in high schools that teach technical skills, which is becoming less common. When I was in high school I was able to take my old truck into the mechanics shop where my friend was taking a class. It took them months to do the repair, but I didn’t even have to pay for the part and it ran perfectly when they were done.

I was also able to get free dental work from my brother-in-law who was taking his dental board exams and needed a patient.

What Are Some Free Services That I Can Get From Students?

The services that you can get for free will depend on the schools that are near by, what they teach, and whether they have students that will want to take your particular case. Some of the services will only be available to “low income” individuals. Others will be open to the public regardless of your current financial status. Here are some possibilities:

Dentists – Free dental work

Get free dental work including exams, x-rays, filling cavities and possibly more extensive procedures like bridges and crowns. This is potentially one of the highest value services that you can get for free. It’s not uncommon for people who need over $2,000 worth of dental work to come in to these programs. Find a dental school.

Dental Hygienists – Free teeth cleaning

Just like dental students, dental hygienist students will need practice. They offer teeth cleanings, flossing and mouth wash. Find Dental Hygienist & Dental Assistant Schools.

Massage Therapy – Free massage

There are various types of massage, such as relaxation, Swedish or deep tissue. Most people just like relaxation massages, so this is a case where you might need to endure some discomfort to help the student learn other types. Deep tissue can be uncomfortable if they don’t take the time to get the outer muscles fully relaxed. Find a massage therapy school.

Nursing & Phlebotomy – Free exam, vital signs and lab work

If you’re overweight, then you’ve probably have bad experiences getting lab work done because your veins are hard to find. The professor who is supervising the student would more likely find your vein with one stick and without probing than anyone else you’ll meet. If you’re a lean muscle machine then the students will gladly practice on you. Some guys you just look at their arm and the vein pops out. Find a nursing school. (Other medical training schools and technical institutes that don’t include nursing programs might teach phlebotomy).

Other medical and health professions – Free Clinics

Obviously there are procedures, including surgical procedures, that you will not get for free unless you have really good health insurance (good luck with that). However any medical or health profession could potentially have a free service or a free clinic. For example, a local Podiatry school might have a biomechanics lab where they’ll give you a free gait analysis, take a mold of your feet and give you free orthotics that could normally cost about $200-$500. See also Free Health Care/Free Clinics. You could also get some health services by becoming a human test subject. Find a Medical School (MD & DO programs). Find an Optometry School. Find a Podiatry School. Find a Physical Therapy School. Find an Occupational Therapy School. Find Alternative Health Programs.

Salon & Cosmetology – Free hair cuts and spa

Salon and cosmetology students need human subjects for hair cuts, perms, pedicures, manicures, facials and other spa treatments.

Auto Mechanics – Free Auto Repair

They may or may not charge you for the parts that need to be replaced. This is one service that you could get from high school students if the school teaches it. Of course you could also try professional training programs.

Legal – Free legal services

If you wanted a student to advise you or represent you in court, then there would probably be some special considerations or steps that you’d have to take. Yet, that is a little extreme. Generally from law students you can go to law workshops and they’ll be able to file any paperwork for you that a paralegal can do. Instead of going to the law students you could also go to where the paralegals are trained.

Accounting – Free Income Tax Filing

Accounting students will help you prepare and submit your personal taxes. Some may also help if you own a small business with a single owner or married partner. If your business is any bigger than that, then you may just want a professional handling it.

Creative Arts – Graphic Artists, Photography, Illustrators, film editing, etc.

Training programs for these services can be found at technical schools, community colleges and unviersities. Students who are just starting out are always looking for opportunities to build their portfolio.

Business Interns – Free labor

If you own a business, then you can potentially get free labor through an internship program. Obviously you might get better interns with a paid internship and that would still be cheaper than paying an employee. Interns will also be more interested in larger, established businesses that have plenty of opportunities for advancement.

Where Can I Find Students Or Programs Who Offer Free Services?

Again, it’s easiest to find free services in training programs for the technical trades, especially ones that require human subjects. Yet, for any service that you’re in need of, you could potentially find a student who would be willing to do it for free or for a deep discount. Start by looking for the school that does the training and call their main office or go there in person. They will get you in touch with the program director or a particular student who needs a patient. You could also try going to a common workspace where the students often congregate, such as a study hall or a lab that is just for students in their field.

Sometimes the services are advertised in places like the radio, newspaper classified ads, school bulletin boards, nearby churches, laundry mats, and Craigslist.

Even going a step further than students, you could potentially find entrepreneurs, freelancers, and startups may also be willing to offer the service for free, for trade or for a deep discount to establish credibility and a good track record.

Whenever free services from students are discovered online, they will be added to the Community Freebies Directory. Do you know of any particular programs? Please, let us know and we’ll add it to the directory.