Being a student in Australia doesn’t come cheap. Between paying for rent, buying textbooks and groceries, and having limited room to secure an income, Aussie students are no strangers to living on a budget. So it makes sense that if you’re currently studying, you’ll be looking to save money any way you can, not least when it comes to your choice of mobile plan.

To help you to become even savvier when it comes to finding thrifty student deals, we run through some of the key things to consider when looking for a new student phone plan. 

We also list our picks for the best phone plans for students that MATE has to offer. 

Student mobile phone plans checklist

When it comes to student phone plans, there’s no such thing as “one size fits all”. There are different elements that make up a phone plan, elements that you’ll want to consider so you can narrow down the best student mobile plan for you. 

1. Cost

Finding a student discount is the name of the game, so it’s only natural that finding a plan that falls within budget will often take priority. Lucky for students, cheap mobile plans are on the rise across the board. But don’t forget, paying a little extra can also mean greater access to data, calls and texts.

2. Data

If you’re on the go a lot browsing, streaming and social-media-ing, then chances are you’re going to need a mobile plan that packs a fair amount of data. On the other hand, if there’s always a WiFi connection close by, then you could probably stand to keep your data allowance to a minimum.

3. International calls and texts 

While most providers these days do offer international calls and texts as a standard inclusion, it will often only be in relation to a select number of countries. So be sure to double-check what countries are included if you plan on making overseas calls to somewhere in particular.

4. Coverage 

If you reside in or plan to travel to more regional parts of Australia then you’re definitely going to need a carrier that offers the widest possible coverage. It’s best to speak to the provider you’re considering to find out what coverage you can expect to receive where you live and work.

5. Additional features

Depending on your personal needs you may find it worthwhile to sign up to a plan that comes with a few extra perks such as: 

• Data banking
• Mobile and internet bundles
• No lock-in contracts
• Free music streaming subscription

Our picks for student mobile plans

At MATE we have a range of sim-only plans that are sure to put your search for student discounts to an end. 

Right off the bat, we guarantee that all our plans come with: 

• Unlimited talk & text to standard Aussie numbers
• 500GB of data banking
• No lock-in contracts
• Award-winning Aussie support 
• No plan change fees
• Access to Australia’s largest telco network

Cheapest pick

For students who love a bargain and only need the essentials, our good mates mobile plan is available for only $20/month and comes with 10GB of monthly data.

All-round pick 

For students who need a bit of everything, our great mates mobile plan is available for only $30/month, and includes: 

• 32GB of monthly data
• Unlimited international calls & SMS to 15 selected countries 

Big data pick

For students who want total data freedom, our soul mates 5G mobile plan is available for only $45/month, and includes: 

• 120GB of monthly 5G data
• Unlimited international calls & SMS to 15 selected countries 

Mobile and internet plans 

In need of home internet? At MATE you can save when you bundle any mobile plan with one of our unlimited data nbn internet plans, starting from just $69/month combined. Check out the range today!