One of the great things about being a student, or the parent of a student, is the special “academic pricing” available on many computer and software products.  With discounts of as much as 80 percent on some items, the savings are a reason to smile even if your sizable college tuition bill is not.

To qualify, students typically need to be attending an accredited educational institution and be able to show proof of enrollment—often by submitting an e-mail address with an “.edu” ending (a type of e-mail address only granted by schools), faxing copies of current student ID cards or submitting other enrollment documents.  Some companies allow parents to make purchases on behalf of their kids, but others have stricter rules.

To maximize the potential savings, you will also need to know where to look for academic discounts and how to avoid the biggest pitfalls.  Remember these four tips.

Start with Your School

Because of group buying power, many of the best educational discounts are available by purchasing directly through school channels.

If you are a current college student, check with the information technology (IT) department at your school.  Your campus technology administrator might have negotiated bulk-purchasing contracts with computer and software vendors that feature much deeper discounts than traditional academic pricing.  Expand your school-based search to also include campus bookstores and computer stores.

Bulk-discount programs are less common at the elementary, middle or high school levels, but some schools and school districts do have deals.  Contact the office that handles technology purchases for the school or district.  K-12 schools that purchase bulk software licenses from Microsoft, for instance, can pass along savings to their students if they also sign up for the company’s “Student Select” program.

And high school seniors may be able to qualify for special computer and software discounts from their future college once they have received their official letter of acceptance.

Go Direct from the Manufacturer

A number of technology manufacturers offer special academic pricing direct from their websites.  If you are interested in buying a Dell computer system, for example, you can save up to 12 percent off advertised prices by first registering for discounts at www.delluniversity.com.

If you would prefer a Hewlett-Packard machine, you can get savings of up to 15 percent by visiting www.hpshopping.com/student.  Academic discounts also extend to HP printers.

For those who crave an Apple, you can cut $100 to $200 off most computer models if you purchase through the company’s education store at www.apple.com/education.  Previous limited-time promotions have even offered a free iPod nano to student computer purchasers.

Search Online Academic Stores

If you can’t buy direct from the manufacturer, you still could get an educational discount by visiting online stores that specialize in academic pricing such as www.journeyed.com, www.academicsuperstore.com, www.studica.com, www.gradware.com and www.campustech.com.  Before placing your order, take a few extra minutes to comparison price at rival sites.

One potential pitfall:  Many of these sites sell products without academic discounts alongside other products that do have special pricing.  So never assume that just because a product is listed on an academic discount site that it is a better deal.  As a safeguard, use price comparison websites such as www.pricegrabber.com, www.shopping.com or www.shopzilla.com to compare non-academic pricing available elsewhere online.

Consider Hidden Costs and Benefits

If you are from a state that doesn’t have a sales tax—or will be attending college in a state without one—this could influence when and where you should make your technology purchase.  Buying computers or software through an out-of-state college, for instance, might not make sense if the sales tax would offset much of the extra discount.

Likewise, consider the financial aid implications of when you make your purchase.  If you purchase an expensive computer system before you submit your financial aid forms for the year, this would reduce the assets you have on hand (assuming that you use your bank account to pay for it, or immediately pay off the credit card purchase with your bank funds).  This could, in turn, slightly increase the financial aid you receive.

One more tip:  If you will be graduating soon, it’s a good idea to do a quick assessment of your future computer and software needs while you’re still a student.  Making such purchases before you collect that diploma may not only be a nice graduation present to yourself, but it could also save you some extra money down the road.