Necessities:

Some students think they should have all the fun and none of the responsibility. However, Shepard says, they'll need to remember the important stuff -- car insurance, car oil changes, phone service and laundry, to name a few.

Costs for cellphones can reach long distances, but sometimes students can get discounts just by asking. "Wireless is one of our most popular categories," Unal says. "Students can save about $20 per month. It varies, but for T-Mobile and AT&T, students can get between 10 (percent) and 15 percent off. For Sprint, it's between 15 (percent) and 23 (percent off), and Verizon customers can get about 8 (percent) to 10 percent."

Being a teen driver is also pricey, as teens typically have higher car insurance costs due to their short driving history and high accident rate. However, with driver's ed classes or good grades, some insurance companies will provide a 20 percent discount on policies that include single students younger than 25. AAA even offers some teens free membership with a learner's permit.

Class is in session

Just as Adam Sandler sang about not wanting to be a fool when he went back to school in the 1995 movie "Billy Madison," students shouldn't be foolish and pass up the hundreds of discounts available to them for travel, entertainment and computer-related purposes. So use that student ID while you have it.

Levy suggests visiting your high school guidance counselor or your university's activity center to find information on discounts available to you.

"Obviously, the more they save the less they're going to have to borrow," Levy says. "We want to keep their loan indebtedness as low as possible. So we encourage them to save as much as possible."

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