The Human Services Resource Center at Oregon State University offers a variety of free and low-cost options, such as food, textbook rentals and reduced-cost parking permit applications. 

“The HSRC Food Pantry is available to food insecure students, staff and community members,” the center’s website states. “If you already receive any other form of assistance (SNAP, TANF, SSI, etc.) you are eligible to receive food from the pantry as needed per month. You do not need to be an OSU staff or student to get food from our pantry.”

To receive food assistance, students and community members must sign a statement declaring that they meet the income eligibility requirements, but are not required to provide documentation. A household of one making less than $1,926 a month is eligible. The income cap increases by $681 for each additional member of the household. 

For any student at any income level, the HSRC runs a Twitter account @eatfreeOSU, sharing events that offer fresh food around campus. 

Students can obtain day-old food at most cafes on campus for either a dollar or half-price. You can get day-olds while supplies last from Tuesday to Friday at cafes like JavaStop, Java II, EBGB’s, Trader Bing’s, Bing’s Cafe, Raintree Cafe, eCafe and Ava’s Cafe.

Students can rent laptops from The Valley Library for a day or up to a week for free with a swipe of a student ID.

OSUsed, a surplus store where students can purchase computers, furniture and other items, is open Tuesdays from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. and Fridays noon to 3 p.m.

The Craft Center in the Student Experience Center is free to access for all fee-paying students. It is open from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends after Sept 27. The DAMlab Makerspace in Buxton Hall has 3D printers and many engineering-focused tools, and accessible 24/7 for first-year students in the Colleges of Business and Engineering, living in Buxton, Hawley, Poling and Weatherford Halls. 

Music a la Carte is a free event for music appreciation. There are performances every Friday, not including holidays, in the MU at 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Many talented artists come to perform, as well as students and faculty. Find Music a la Carte on OSU’s events calendar online for future performers.