Long Distance Savings for College Students

Consumer Information | Long Distance Service

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When entering college, many students find themselves living long distance from friends and family for the first time in their lives. This makes the telephone a lifeline while away at school and as a result, many students, or their parents, find themselves paying larger than life phone bills.

One of the problems with dorm life is that most times students do not have a choice between long distance companies. So, even if you can find a company with great rates, the likelihood is that the long distance service can’t be switched to the company offering the lower pricing. The result is that many students are paying 20 cents per minute or more for long distance calls!

However, you are not doomed to pay more than you should on long distance for the next four years. There are several ways around the problem that can save you money and allow you to call home more often because of it.

Toll Free Numbers

A toll free number is also commonly referred to as an 800 number. If you call a specific number the most, you can set up a toll free number to ring to that line. You can get a toll free number with no monthly fee and rates as low as 4.5 cents per minute through PNG. You are not required to have regular long distance with them in order to get a Stand Alone Toll Free account. When checking out toll free service providers, there are a few questions you should ask so that you can make the most inexpensive decision based on your needs and calling patterns:

• Is there a monthly fee for having the toll free number?

• Is there a minimum amount of usage you need to meet each month?

• Can you choose what toll free number is assigned to you?

• Do you need and will your toll free number come with voicemail service?

• Should you choose to change providers; can you take your toll free number with you?

• What are per minute rates to place a call from within state and out of state to your toll free number?

• Do any special taxes or surcharges apply to calls or the service itself?

Calling Cards

Calling cards allow you to dial long distance from any phone and have the call be charged to your card. While many cards today are prepaid, you can also find post paid calling cards like the CogniCall Calling Card. CogniCall is 6.9 cents per minute to anywhere in USA-48 from USA-48 with no per call surcharges, no monthly minimums and no monthly fees. You are billed monthly for all calls with automatic credit card or check card billing.

Prepaid cards are another popular option. Many cards offer very low rates and allow you to make calls to any number at any time. Before you purchase a calling card - be it a prepaid or postpaid card - be sure to check out a few things:

• Are there any surcharges for each call you place?

• Are there any monthly fees involved in using the card?

• If the card is prepaid, will it expire after a certain amount of time?

• What are the per minute rates and billing increments?

• Does it matter what time of day you place a call or are the rates the same no matter when you place the call?

Cellular Phones

With so many cellular services offering free long distance minutes these days, it has become a popular choice among many college students as an alternative to using the dorm phones.

Make sure you look for a cellular phone plan with unlimited free nationwide long distance and that also has unlimited nights and weekends. Check around with other students in your dorm to find out which services work the best (we have heard from many students about services being available in their area, but not working well from within the college buildings).

Also remember to check and make sure that your cellular phone service will work not only at college, but also in your hometown for summer vacation and school breaks. Some things to ask yourself before making a decision:

• Does the plan have a contract and if so, what are the costs for early cancellation?

• Can you change plans without changing service providers at any time without incurring a penalty?

• If you don’t pass the credit check, what would the required deposit be or do they offer prepaid cell phone plans?

• What features are included? If not included, how much would any of your desired features cost in extra fees per month?

• Does the cell phone have unlimited nationwide long distance?

• Are there any charges for roaming?

• If you make International calls from your cell, ask for a rate for the countries you call most and see if they have a special International plan available.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

VoIP services can save you quite a bit by allowing you to use your broadband connection to make phone calls. Be sure to check if your school has any rules about using the school connections for VoIP services. VoIP can usually save International students the most money of any option available when it comes to calling home.

Broadband services can be done through the computer using a microphone and speakers/headset or you can find providers like SunRocket who have cordless phones VoIP phones available. There are also lower quality, but free VoIP options out there such as Skype (though in fairness, Skype has an upgraded service that works as well as most others).

For more information about VoIP service, how it works and what your options are, as well as what to look for in a provider, check out our VoIP consumer information page.

International Students

If you think you’ll be making a lot of International calls, you make want to check out our page with information on making and saving money on International calls.