Often the greatest irony in the 3D printing industry is that those who would make the best use of the technology as well as being a wonderful investment in themselves for the future of innovation cannot find their way to the proper tools—and price is out of the question, no matter how cheap the machine.
Harken back to your college days and try to remember how much disposable cash you had to go out and buy sophisticated hardware or pay someone else for their services to make a prototype for that senior business class. We’re remembering being concerned about budgeting funds for eating juicy burgers in the student union, gas to get home on holiday break, and coordinating with several half-baked roommates to get that apartment rent paid on time—not investing in technology services which surely would have boosted our cred immensely with professors had it been available to us.
There are a number of smart companies out there today who do realize, however, that students are a group we want to help along in 3D printing. While everyone chants that affordability and accessibility need to become more common, this is the target group they need to be spotlighting. And there are few who have a better take on the pulse of students and their making needs than 3D Hubs. Amidst all their other news and activities, we follow 3D Hubs on a monthly basis as they fill us in on trends within 3D printing—and we know they have an extremely clear perspective on making communities around the world.
“For most students, there’s only limited possibility to access the latest 3D printing technology at campus,” Filemon Schoffer, Head of Community, told 3DPrint.com. “Especially during project deadlines, waiting lines can be as long as weeks or machines are unavailable completely. Together with participating universities and a few dozen 3D Hubs Student Ambassadors, we aim to solve this by connecting them to fast, affordable 3D printing services near campus.”
This new service makes perfect sense, and is definitely just a streamlined extension of everything 3D Hubs already offers, as their name has been made in helping those who don’t have 3D printers to find a local, affordable method of having 3D files printed. Today they have launched their new Student Program, which offers a great discount of 25% on all 3D prints. This should really be an added incentive to hurry up and work on getting those prototypes ready and off to a hub before the project deadline.
Applying is a piece of cake—and even if you don’t have a deadline or project due, this is also a great way to afford having some fun and experimenting with some 3D models that have caught your eye. Students apply simply by going through the following process:
- Go to the 3DHub student discount signup page.
- Enrolled students must enter their university email, upon which a verification email will be sent.
- Upon verifying, you are qualified to receive the 25% discount automatically.
- Place your order.
“3D Hubs has always been the most affordable 3D printing solution, but at this discounted price point we think that the majority of students, particularly those in STEM programs, will have the opportunity to take their hardware projects to the next level at very limited costs,” Filemon told 3DPrint.com.
A substantial discount means that students have more options for trying out new materials and designs, as well as simply being able to budget in projects that really need to get finished at a 3D Hubs location nearby.
“Not only was the quality great, but my 25% student discount meant 3D Hubs was also the most affordable way to print my prototype,” said Billie, a student at Queen Mary University of London.
We salute 3D Hubs for making this possible for student populations everywhere, and for demonstrating a very realistic way to create accessibility and affordability. Is this a discount you might qualify for or tell a friend about? Discuss in the 3D Hubs Student Discount forum over at 3DPB.com.
