We all know that when we’re college students, money is going to be tight.  Thankfully for the Internet, we’re able to find software online that isn’t going to cost you a dime and yes, it’s legal so you won’t have to worry about any legal battles.  I did a little digging around the Internet and came up with what I think are the top 5 free software packages that cater to college students.

Open Office - Open Office is by far my favorite out of any software platform.  If you don’t have a few hundred dollars to spend on Microsoft Office, Open Office is for you.  They have programs that are very comparable to Word, Excel and Access.  The download is quick and the programs are extremely easy to use.

AVG Anti-Virus -Everyone needs to be protected by a virus.  Instead of spending $100 on an anti-virus, join the millions that already use AVG for free.  It gives you virus and spy ware protection along with safe web surfing and download.  Did I mention it was free?

GIMP - If you’re going to be doing a lot of photo editing, you’ve probably come across Adobe Photoshop.  Well the only problem is that Photoshop is going to cost you a few hundred dollars.  Gimp is a simple version of Photoshop but will do just as much for a $0 price tag.

GNU Cash - I’m not sure how much accounting college students do but GNU Cash is a great way to manage your budget.  You can keep track of your banking information, your investments and more.  The whole program is free and very easy to use.

If none of these software packages sound great to you, CNET has a great list of free software bundles based on what you want.  There are always free alternatives out there when you do your homework.  Look for a free alternative before you buy a particular piece of software because you’ll be amazed at what’s out there.