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College might not seem like the obvious time to get into points and miles. Most students are juggling classes, part-time work, rent, and tuition — not plotting award redemptions.
However, college is the first period of life when real expenses begin to pile up and credit starts to matter. Used responsibly, those years can be the perfect time to build good financial habits, establish credit history, and start earning travel rewards on spending you’re already doing anyway.
I might be a little biased since this was my story, but there’s a case to be made that college is the best time to start your points and miles journey.
Here’s why college can be a great time to start collecting points and miles — plus some practical ways to begin building a rewarding strategy.
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Why Start Collecting Points and Miles While Enrolled in College
College is one of the best times to start collecting points and miles. Everyone’s situation is different, but for many people, the door to earning meaningful rewards really opens during these years. You might have some income but not a lot, and getting strategic about how you earn and redeem points can help you reach travel goals that might otherwise seem impossible.
Maybe you’re ready to graduate from the secured card you opened in high school to something a little more rewarding. Or perhaps the income from a part time job or tutoring gig is enough to qualify you for a student card that actually earns rewards.
And it’s not just about income. College often comes with major expenses that can open the door to copious amounts of rewards. Tuition and rent are two of the biggest examples.
But the bigger picture matters even more. Building a habit of earning rewards naturally goes hand-in-hand with learning how to use credit responsibly. That can set you up for better travel rewards cards down the road and help you secure more favorable terms on things like auto loans. It can even make you a more attractive applicant when it’s time to sign a lease on an apartment.
It might not seem like it, but the travel you’re able to book or the cash back you earn along the way is really just the icing on the cake.
Now, let’s talk about how to earn those rewards. We’ll start with what’s probably most synonymous with college: tuition.
Related: How to Set and Track Goals Using AwardWallet
Earning Points and Miles on Tuition
With the average yearly tuition in the United States hovering just under $40,000, college isn't cheap. Even if your out of pocket cost is lower, paying for school can present a lucrative opportunity to earn a heap of points and miles if you’re able to use a credit card.
Of course, this isn’t something you’ll want to do without some planning. At a minimum, here are two things to consider:
- Credit card processing fees: Most schools let you pay tuition with a credit card, but processing fees, typically 1.5% to 3.5%, can quickly offset the value of the rewards you’d earn. Before making a payment, it's worth doing the math to make sure the rewards you're earning are worth the cost to get them in the first place.
- Interest rates: Always pay your statement balance on time and in full, especially when there are large charges on your statement, like tuition. With APRs north of 25% on many rewards cards, carrying a balance can make that tuition payment far more expensive. Missed or late payments can also damage your credit score, which can have negative down-the-line effects on getting future credit.
If you’re able to pay tuition with a credit card responsibly, though, a large payment like this can be a great way to rack up a sizable stash of points or miles or knock out all (or some) of the minimum spending requirement for a new card’s welcome bonus.
For these purchases, we’d recommend cards that have welcome offers and earn elevated rewards on purchases that don’t fall neatly into a bonus category, such as tuition. If you credit is good enough to qualify, here are three great options:
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
$95
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
No annual feeRates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Large Purchases: Maximize Rewards, Perks, and Protections
Earning Points and Miles on Your Spending and Living Expenses
Tuition aside, students can earn a boatload of points and miles by using the right credit card for everyday spending, including rent. And you can juice your rewards even further by using free tools, such as shopping portals.
Food, groceries, and everyday expenses
Even if room and board are bundled into your tuition, you’re still going to have expenses in college. From upgrading your tech to grabbing dinner with friends, everyday spending creates plenty of opportunities to earn rewards.
A great place to start is with a catch-all everyday spending card that earns more than a single point or mile per dollar on most purchases.
One of our favorites is the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, which has no annual fee and earns 1.25X miles per dollar on every purchase, plus 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. For a college student with a limited credit history, this card might be more attainable than a similar card with an annual fee.
- 20,000 Miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 1.25 Miles on every purchase
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; 18.49% - 28.49% variable APR after that
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 annual fee
- 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5 Miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
If you’re open to paying an annual fee, its bigger sibling, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, earns 2X miles per dollar on most purchases and comes with a welcome bonus.
- Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchase
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $120)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
As your strategy evolves, you can layer in additional cards based on where you spend the most. Staying within the Capital One ecosystem, for example, you might consider adding the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns elevated rewards in several useful categories — such as dining and groceries — and has no annual fee.
- 8% cash back on purchases made via the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform
- 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% cash back on dining and entertainment
- 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 3% on popular streaming services
- 1% on all other purchases
- $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 1% on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 annual fee
- 8% cash back on purchases made via the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform
- 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% cash back on dining and entertainment
- 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 3% on popular streaming services
- 1% on all other purchases
A good rule of thumb is to evaluate your spending habits first, then choose a card that aligns with them. And before applying, consider using a pre-approval tool to gauge your odds and avoid unnecessary hard pulls on your credit.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases: Maximize Your Non-Bonus Spend
Rent
Rent is another major monthly expense and a great opportunity to earn a meaningful number of points and miles. There are three primary ways to earn rewards on rent payments:
- Bilt Rewards: Bilt was one of the first platforms to offer rewards on rent without the traditional convenience fees, though the program has evolved. You can still use Bilt to earn rewards on rent, but there are now multiple approaches, some of which may involve fees. It’s worth reviewing the program's current offerings to see if it makes sense for you.
- Use a credit card and pay the convenience fee: Most rent portals charge around 3% to pay with a credit card. While that fee cuts into your return, it can be worthwhile if you’re working toward a signup bonus or need a boost of points for an upcoming trip. Just make sure to run the numbers before making this your go-to strategy.
- Use a rewards earning debit card: Some rent portals charge lower flat or percentage based fees for debit cards. With more rewards earning debit cards now available, this can be another way to earn on rent without opening a line of credit. Some of the current options include debit cards from programs like United, Southwest, and Wyndham.
If the value of the rewards you’re earning outweighs the fee you’re paying, rent can be a powerful way to grow your balances quickly. That’s far more rewarding than paying rent via ACH, a non-rewards-earning debit card, or Venmo and likely earning nothing at all.
Shopping portals
Using a shopping portal is another easy way to earn extra points and miles on purchases you’re already making. Whether you prefer airline miles, hotel points, transferable credit card rewards, or straight cash back, there’s a portal out there for you.
And the process is extremely simple. Sign up for the portal you want to use, click through to the retailer, activate any available offer, and complete your purchase. The rewards post on top of what you earn from your credit card.
A few of our favorites include Rakuten, which earns cash back and often offers a welcome bonus, with the option to earn Amex or Bilt Points instead. Airline portals can be especially lucrative too, such as American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Shopping, and Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping.
There are plenty of options, so it’s worth deciding which currency you value most before diving in. While it always pays to compare rates since they vary by portal and over time, you might consider starting with one primary portal and sticking with it.
Concentrating your online shopping in one place can help you build rewards balances faster than spreading purchases across several programs.
Related: The Best Credit Cards to Use for Online Shopping
Tips for Earning More Airline Miles and Hotel Points
To make point-earning easier and more rewarding, here are some things to keep front of mind as you continue your points and miles journey.
Consolidate your loyalty to a short list of programs
Whether it be spring break, study abroad, or just flying home for a long weekend, an easy way to earn more points and miles is to consolidate the number of loyalty programs you credit points to. For example, try routinely staying at one hotel brand or flying the same airline each time you book travel with cash instead of points.
This way, you'll maximize the earnings on your travel and get closer to your next redemption. Otherwise, if you credit one flight each to American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, and United MileagePlus, you're scattering the miles you're earning, and will potentially end up with mileage balances that are harder to use.
Take advantage of easy opportunities when they come around
Another way to steadily build your mileage balances is to stack easy wins when you can. Whether that’s enrolling in a promotion that offers bonus points just for signing up, using a shopping portal to trigger a limited-time spending bonus, taking surveys, or simply swiping the right card at the grocery store, it all adds up.
While I was in college, those easy wins were meal kit subscriptions. By signing up for different services through the AAdvantage eShopping portal a handful of times, I built a sizable stash of miles and even earned AAdvantage elite status.
I was essentially stacking cheap introductory offers on food I needed anyway and turning them into meaningful travel rewards. This approach isn’t for everyone, but it helped fund the traveling I wanted to do at the time.
Good deals never last long, so they're worth taking advantage of while they're around.
Keep an eye out for point-boosting promotions
Taking advantage of promotions from your favorite brands is another easy way to earn more points on travel you’re already planning. Hotels, in particular, tend to run frequent promos, offering thousands of bonus points, double points on stays, and other incentives.
Each month, AwardWallet rounds up the best current hotel promotions, which makes these pages worth bookmarking if you want to maximize your stays:
- Best Western promotions
- Choice promotions
- Hilton promotions
- Hyatt promotions
- IHG promotions
- Marriott promotions
- Wyndham promotions
It also pays to stay subscribed to the email lists of programs you care about. The more plugged in you are, the more likely you are to catch a promotion or status offer that’s actually worth your time.
For instance, IHG likes to send me targeted offers to earn Platinum status in as few as five nights. I don't currently have status with IHG, but if I did, it would unlock additional benefits and boosted point earnings on stays with the hotel chain.
And more points is the name of the game.
Join a student-focused airline benefits program
A handful of airlines offer student-focused loyalty programs with perks like discounted fares, bonus points, and extra baggage allowances. And you're more than likely eligible if you fall into a certain age bracket or have a university-affiliated email address.
Some of the current offerings include:
- Aegean Airlines genAIRation: Take 15% off flights, get a free checked bag on two round trips per year, and access other student perks.
- Qatar Airways Student Club: Save up to 20% on Qatar-operated flights and receive a Privilege Club tier upgrade as a graduation gift after completing one eligible round trip.
- Singapore Airlines Student Privileges: Get 10% off economy and premium economy fares and enjoy additional checked baggage on select routes, including flights to and from the United States.
- United Airlines MileagePlus: Members ages 18 to 23 can access special fares when booking through the United mobile app.
Of these, Aegean’s student program is my favorite. I enrolled as an undergrad but didn’t end up using it until my graduate school years on an island hopping trip through Greece. The free checked bag alone saved me a good chunk of change on a last minute flight (that was also discounted thanks to this lovely program).
Even if you’re not sure when you’ll use these benefits, it’s worth enrolling now so you’re ready when the opportunity comes up.
Learn How to Keep Track of Your Points and Miles Balances
Last but not least, college is a great time to learn how to manage your points and miles. They might feel like Monopoly money sometimes, but you might treat them like you would cash savings. That means it's worth keeping an eye on your balances and making sure they don’t expire, even if you don’t have immediate plans to use them.
So, how should you stay organized? One easy option is by using AwardWallet. AwardWallet is a tool that tracks your points, miles, and elite statuses across hundreds of airline, hotel, and credit card programs in one secure dashboard.
There’s a free tier as well as a paid version, AwardWallet Plus, that offers even more powerful features. Beginning with the free option, though, is a simple way to get a clear, bird's-eye view of your rewards balances, monitor expiration dates, and keep your travel plans organized as you. And we recommend starting there to get your feet wet.
Don't have an AwardWallet account yet? Sign up for free and track unlimited rewards programs and travel plans.
Final Thoughts
Yes, you can earn points and miles even while you're still in college. And in most instances, all it takes is a focused approach to earning. If you swipe the right cards, jump on offers when they come around, and leverage other ways to rack up points, it's only a matter of time before you'll have a balance of miles to help you achieve your travel goals.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees), and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)
