Vassar in snowTwenty-seven percent of the U.S. has a bachelor’s degree - and if you’re reading this, you’re probably one of those people. We all accept that the expense of our higher education buys us a better job or a graduate degree, but are there other benefits to being a college graduate?

As it turns out, the services your alma mater provides you as an alumni extend beyond free transcripts and overpriced reunion buffets. I examined the alumni benefits at the three schools I was most familiar with - Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY), Brandeis University (Waltham, MA), Fitchburg State College (Fitchburg, MA) - to see what they had to offer.

1. Access to libraries and athletic facilities. If you’re local to your alma mater, these can be invaluable. University libraries have subscriptions to far more journals and services than public libraries, and can allow you to delve deeply on any topic that might interest you. Your college’s gym can provide you, for free or a low cost, a top notch athletic facility. Some services are free with an alumni ID; some charge a fee. Your usage may also be limited.

2. Recreation. Alumni organizations often provide travel or entertainment opportunities to their members. Vassar, for example, is sponsoring a trip to London and Stratford-Upon-Avon to provide “backstage insight on theater,” with lectures from one of the College’s drama professors. Brandeis in the Berkshires is a similar type of program. Although these programs will cost you, being able to travel with like-minded people, with rare educational opportunities open to few, might make it worth it.

3. Contacts/networking. Most college websites feature an alumni directory of some sort. Some are simply databases of contact information, while others operate more like social networks (SUNY Canton’s MyCanton, for example, describes itself as being “like MySpace or Facebook”). Some, like Vassar, offer discussion groups where you can connect with alumni in similar fields, look for rideshares or housing, and buy and sell goods and services.

4. Career advice and assistance. Career development doesn’t stop with those transcript requests. Vassar, for example, offers a service called V-Net, a database of alumni who have offered to serve as career advisors to other alumni. More generally, some colleges have started using College Central to hook their alumni up with careers.

5. Accommodations. If you’re staying close to your alma mater, rather than dishing out for a hotel, maybe you can opt for a more personal experience? Vassar, for example, houses alumni in its scenic alumni house for $78-$168 a night. Many schools also will rent their dorm rooms out during the summer for a low cost.

6. Grants/fellowships. Even several years after graduation, you may be able to apply for grants or fellowships that your alma mater is offering. Vassar, for example, offers several fellowships to its alumni for pursuits such as studying language in a foreign country or taking “time out” when you reach your 40th birthday.

7. Lifelong learning. Many colleges provide lifelong learning opportunities to their alumni - and sometimes to local residents, as well. Brandeis in particular is known for BOLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Brandeis, which offers courses in history, government, literature, science, psychology, and other topics. This program is so popular that there’s now a lottery in place for membership! Alumni can also audit classes at many colleges; it’s all the fun of going back to school with none of the stress.

8. Credit cards. Now your alma mater can help you accumulate more debt! (Just kidding). Both Brandeis and Fitchburg State offer their graduates a college-branded credit card where every purchase supports the college’s fundraising efforts.

9. Insurance. In Massachusetts, several colleges - including Fitchburg State and Brandeis - have agreements with Liberty Mutual to provide reduced cost auto and home insurance to their graduates. Brandeis graduates also have some health and life insurance plans available to them.

10. Discounts. Fitchburg State, for example, offers a 10% discount on clothing and gift items from the college store. Through Brandeis you can receive a discount on rental cars through Avis, and a 30% discount on books from the University Press of New England.

How to plug in: Go to your alma mater’s website and look for its alumni subsite. Some sites will have a page called “alumni benefits” while some will note them in several different places. You may have to log in with your graduation info (ID code from the alumni publication, graduation year, etc) to take advantage of some services. Take some time to become familiar with what’s available to you now, so that when you need the information later, you’ll know where to find it.

(photo credit: joseph a)

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