Whether it be for your children or yourself, saving up for College tuition is daunting. But, what if there was a novel and unique way to save?
What if you could take everyday spending and super size it? What if items that you HAVE to buy, like food, travel tickets, clothing, hardware items, renting of cars, furniture, toys, and so, so much more, helped you save towards your College Degree?
Upromise offers just that. Furthermore, they are offering a $30 instant Welcome Bonuses.
Born from the very real struggle of paying off a student loan, the founder, Michael Bronner, found that offering coupons to students at local restaurants, bars and other platforms, really was popular. And, from a small start, he and his partner, Jeff Bussgang, began Upromise. This was all back in 2000, and after collaborating with many high profile partners, they decided to team up with Sallie Mae, a company that has been around for over 40 years.
Sallie Mae’s aim, from the beginning, was to help all Americans obtain a degree, by offering Savings plans, and unique methods to get you to the finish line.
It was the perfect match for Upromise, and since 2006, when they hooked up with Sallie Mae; they have been flying higher than ever.
Upromise $30 Welcome Bonus
Get a $30 bonus ($30.29 to be exact!) for signing up. Use the link below to sign-up and verify your email address to receive $5.29. Link an eligible 529 College Savings Plan to receive another $25.00. Member’s cash back rewards account balance must meet the minimum transfer amount to be eligible for transferring cash back rewards into a linked 529 account. Bonus available for new members only.
Who is Upromise For?

- Parents. You can grow your children’s college savings quite easily, or even your own.
- Students. Even while you are in college, you can save and earn cash back from the Upromise partners.
- Graduates. You have passed, but you still have student loans to settle. You can pay off your student loans quicker with Upromise and benefit from saving on other classes and workshops.
How Does Upromise Work?
It is quite a simple process.
- Join Up, by way of an easy step-by-step method online with Upromise. And, its 100% free to become a member.
- Earn Cash Back, by connecting with Upromise’s preferred partners. You simply go online, purchase stuff, like you would normally do, for everyday items and services, and earn money back.
Ways To Earn Cash Back
- Travel. By booking all your travel tickets via their preferred partners, you can earn cash back.
- Eat. By registering your bank cards with certain restaurants you can earn cash back whenever you eat out.
- Shop Online. By shopping online at Upromise.com you will get cash back. They have hooked up with the likes of JC Penny, Kohl’s, Hotwire, Dell, and many others, to offer you great discounts online.
- Food & Drugstores. Upromise work with eCoupons, so when you register your loyalty cards from various food and drug stores, you will get great benefits.
Putting Your Cash Back To Work
Use Your Earnings that you obtain from these various platforms, and put them straight into:
- Your College Savings Plan
- Your Student Loan
- Or ask for a check and get the cash

A College Savings Plan can be opened with Upromise, where you can earn great interest, as it is connected to an investment avenue. You can add to this investment plan, and grow your College fund really quickly.
Planning for College couldn’t be easier, especially when they offer you unique College Planning tools by Sallie Mae such as:
- A College Calculator
- A Scholarship Search Tool
- College Ahead, a nifty mobile app that offers a Cost Estimator, Planning Calendar, Exam Prep Checklist, Trophy Case (your achievements noted right in the app), College Scorecard (record all those great marks), and a FAFSA Roadmap (to see whether you are eligible for Federal Financial Aid)
- The Smart Option Student Loan
- The Sallie Mae Parent Loan
More Reasons To Consider Upromise
We are super impressed with Upromise’s unique approach to savings when it comes to your college fund. We all recognize the benefit of having a college degree, no matter if you are just starting out as a youth, or are a later bloomer, already in the working world.
The cash back aspect is most appealing. It’s not points, it’s real cash! With a wide variety of partners over their online platforms, travel sites, restaurant options, drug stores and grocery stores, you’ll have plenty of options.
Saving up for your College entry and fees, or trying to pay off Student Loans, can be just a tad bit easier.
We all need to eat out on occasion. We all need to buy groceries and drug store items. We all need to travel at some time or another. So, why not cash in on the cash back savings from these avenues, and put them straight into your College Fund savings or Student Loan account?
Upromise promises not to charge you a joining fee, or any monthly fees whatsoever. They are simple and straightforward, leaving overwhelming hassle out of the equation.
It really is the quintessential loyalty program for students from all walks of life, and all stages of life.
Bottom Line
As with all loyalty type programs, you need to work the program. You need to commit and to make the most of it, always buying through the preferred partners, and ideally, consider getting the Upromise MasterCard. You can literally double your savings with their card option.
Your earnings will range between 1% and 7%, sometimes higher, depending on where you shop. They’ve teamed up with a hefty number merchants and it is continually expanding:
- 850+ online partners
- 10,000+ participating restaurant locations
- Popular travel sites
- 20,000+ grocery and drug stores
Consider taking a look at Upromise, to start your savings towards a degree, to pay off an existing student loan, or simply to earn cash back. If you’re only interested in earning cash back while doing your online shopping, be sure to take a look at other top cash back shopping options below, or see our review of all the best cash back sites here.
- Posts not found
If you need help deciding on which site is best for you, we recommend checking the cash back rates of your favorite stores using CashBackMonitor. That way, you’ll have a better understanding of which one will be more tailored to your spending choices.
READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE.