Best mobile plans for students

Whether you're just starting off your tertiary studies or looking for a new plan to see you through to completion, we've got the best plans for every type of student.

Get 35GB bonus data + $5 off on $45 SIM-only plan from Vodafone deals

40GB + unlimited talk & text to standard Australian numbers

Includes 35GB bonus data per month for use in Oz when you sign up

1000 international minutes for zone 1 + 150 minutes for zone 2

No lock-in contract

Offer ends 20.12.2018

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As a student, a mobile phone is a natural part of your life and is as much a research tool as a communications device. At the same time, you’re coming to grips with balancing a budget that’s nearly always much lighter than you’d like, so making the most of your money is an absolute must.

However, the needs of students vary depending on both personal circumstances and how they use their mobile phones. While different telcos will appeal to students at different times, no provider has designed a plan that fits every type of student in every circumstance just yet. With that in mind, this is what you should consider when picking a plan.

• Communication or information?

  The good news here is that most plans, especially in the contract space but increasingly also in prepaid, come with unlimited standard national calls and texts. This makes data inclusions all the more important, especially if you use your phone for entertainment as well as your (ahem) more important study matters. Remember that streaming video is a data hog, so plan ahead for your needs rather than being stuck with a bill that you can’t easily pay.

• Is there a student discount available?

  As a student, you’re not necessarily cashed-up, but telcos are very keen to get your business now in order to secure it further down the line when you’re more affluent. Many telcos offer student-specific discounts on plans, so it’s always worth checking if the plan of your dreams can be had that much cheaper.

• Entertainment options?

  Does your mobile also act as your entertainment centre? In this case, double down on the data, but also consider plans that include data-free access to music streaming services like Spotify or video streaming services like Netflix. They’re not common, but you could save serious money this way.

• Prepaid or postpaid?

  Prepaid remains the plan choice of the budget-constrained for a reason, because you can’t fall behind on payments when you’re making them upfront. However, postpaid contracts have their place, especially if you want or need a new phone and can’t afford the upfront price of a new handset. They’re also often the plans with the best inclusions for data and other extras.

• Flexibility to move?

  As a student, you’re quite likely to shift accommodation while you’re studying, but have you considered whether you’re likely to want to shift telcos as well? There’s security in a fixed contract plan price (as long as you stay within data caps), but equally you’re likely to have more time than most to switch around special deals for SIM-only prepaid or month-to-month deals.

Pick of the plans: Which plans are best?

We can’t and won’t pick any one plan as being "ideal" for students, because that would suggest that every student’s wants and needs are identical. What we’ve done is identify different student need types in order to highlight plans that we think offer the best value to those types. You may fit into a number of different categories, which is why we’ve explained our choices along the way, so you can weigh up your real needs and make the best possible plan decision.

Provider	Prepaid/Postpaid	Offer
	Postpaid	Get 35GB bonus data + $5 off on $45 SIM-only plan. Offer ends 20.12.2018
	Postpaid	Students get 10% off plans fees - online only
	Prepaid	New customers get 90% off for first month. Offer ends 28.02.2019
	Prepaid	New customers get this plan for just $15. Offer ends 11am 09.01.2019 Sydney time

Best plans for budget-conscious students

Rationale: Money is super tight, and while you need a mobile for communication purposes, you absolutely cannot go over budget in any way. It’s not a fun situation to be in, but every cent counts, and as such you need the best value for your fiscally constrained dollar.

Unlimited calling + 45GB of data for $15 for first 90 days from Catch

• Pay $15 for first 90 days thereafter $89 for next 90 days
• Unlimited standard national talk & text
• 45GB included data
• Offer ends 09.01.2019 11am Sydney time
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Best plans for international students

Rationale: You’re studying here from an international base, or you simply have relatives overseas that you want to stay in regular contact with. As such, a core part of any plan you pick up has to be a significant quantity of international calling inclusions.

Get 40GB for $4.90 with Kogan's XL prepaid plan from Kogan

$4.90 for first 30 days (New customers only)

Regular cost $49.90 (90% Off)

40GB data, unlimited standard calls & texts included

Limited time only. Offer ends 28.02.2019 11:59pm AEDT

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Best plans for gap-year students

Rationale: You’re still a student – but you’re taking a gap year to travel around Australia or the world. That doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in touch, but keeping your bills low is also a priority because you’ve got better things to experience with your dough.

Plans for students who want a new phone

For years, you’ve made do with phones most likely handed down from your parents, or simple gift phones at best. With independence comes the ability to choose your own mobile plan and a shiny new handset with it. That choice is quite wide, naturally, but our Mobile Phone Planner can help you tailor the perfect plan with a handset to match your choices. We’ve pre-populated it with a select of recent smartphones, but you can adjust any variable and add or remove phones easily by clicking on "Filter Results" below.

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