Are you sick of being broke? Who says that college students always have to be strapped for cash? Saving money can be tough for college students, especially when you consider the rising costs of textbooks and tuition.

Tuition has become more expensive for everyone, whether you go to an Ivy League university or a community college. With school back in session, many students are scraping their pennies to get by. Many students support themselves with a limited budget and a bit of assistance from their parents, but sometimes the costs of a college education can be overwhelming.

There are lots of ways to cut corners without having force yourself to eat ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese for three meals a day! So, how can you make the most of your college experience when you’re on a budget? Check out our top 7 ways for college students to save some extra dough—both on campus and off.

1. Find free books – news flash: you DON’T have to shell out a lot of money on textbooks! Textbooks and required readings can set you back hundreds of dollars per semester, but the good news is that you can read books online for free. There are several different websites that offer both books free of charge, and they have the exact same content as your textbooks. Here are two websites that are worth checking out:

The Online Books Page – you can access more than 30,000 free books in one location

Bartleby – you can find free reference books, literature, and poetry online

2. Travel cheaply – road trips and weekend jaunts off campus are fun, but you can really rack up some expenses without proper planning. Try to limit the costs of commuting or road-tripping by traveling as cheaply as possible. This means taking advantage of public transportation, car pools, and travel deals. If you’re thinking of taking a weekend getaway, take a look at these sites:

Statravel – this is the world’s largest student travel organization

Student Universe – cheap tickets from an online student travel service

Smarter Travel – get the best deals on student travel

3. Lower your communication costs – cell phones are great, but you can really rack up a huge phone bill if you’re not careful. Remember, there are other (and cheaper!) was to keep in touch with family and friends besides using the phone. Here are some ways to chat with faraway friends without spending any money:

Skype – make free calls on the internet

Meebo – free instant messaging

Easy chat server – host and manage your own chat room

4. Find a bank that will cater to your needs – there are a lot of different banks that offer free checking and savings accounts to college students. Some banks have reduced ATM fees and other benefits, so shop around and see what good deals you can find. here are some links to help you find a better bank:

Bank Comparison Tool – search and compare banks

How Free Checking Works – Information on free checking

5. Improve your FICO Score – having good credit is important. A good credit score entitles you to low interest on your student loans and credit cards. Although it takes a little bit of time to improve your FICO score, there are some easy things that you can do to gradually boost your number. To start, make sure to pay all of your bills on time. Try to get a credit card or two, but make sure to pay the balance off as soon as possible. Here are some websites to see where you stand with your credit:

Free Annual Credit Report – Get a free credit report from the central site set up by the three consumer credit reporting agencies

Credit Score Calculator – Estimate your current FICO score

Improving Your FICO Score – Tips from MyFICO.com

6. Apply for financial aid and scholarships – grants and scholarships are great ways to help cover the costs of college. These types of aid do not have to be paid back, although you do have to have to fill out some applications in order to be considered. The beginning of the school year is the best time to search for scholarships, so here are some websites to consider:

College Board Scholarship Search – Free scholarship search engine

FastWeb – One of the best places on the web to find a complete listing of scholarships.

Scholarship Search – Free scholarship search engine.

7. Manage your money – by the time graduation rolls around, you’ll be grateful that you learned how to manage your money while still in college. Here are some websites that offer free financial advice from business experts:

My Spending Plan – Free online budgeting software and financial planning tools.

My Budge – Track your spending from your iPhone.

Google Spreadsheets – Free spreadsheet application to help you keep track of your ingoing and outgoing expenses.