Back to school can be an expensive time for parents. The kids need new clothes, books and supplies.

These days, computers and software are a necessary part of school, too. This will add to back-to-school costs, but you can get a break if you know where to look.

ACADEMIC DISCOUNTS

The key is academic discounts, available for students of all ages. But certain eligibility requirements must be met. The school must be a recognized educational institution. Some manufacturers require full-time enrollment, others don't.

You must provide proof of eligibility. This could include a student ID and enrollment records.

College students should start at campus bookstores. They often have computers and software at a discount.

Younger students must look elsewhere for discounts. Check manufacturers' Web sites. Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard and Apple offer academic discounts on computers. Adobe and Microsoft offer discounted software.

If you can't buy directly from the manufacturer, there are plenty of academic stores online. Journey Education, Gradware and Academic Superstore are three. They offer software from a variety of manufacturers.

I have links for manufacturers and stores at www.komando.com/news.

CHECK SAVINGS

You could save $100 or more on laptops or desktop computers. Some manufacturers also throw in bonuses for students. For example, Apple gives students an iPod Nano with a computer purchase.

The discounts on software are even better. For example, a student can buy Adobe Photoshop for $300. That's 70 percent off the standard price of $1,000. Other companies may offer discounts up to 80 percent.

COMPARISON SHOP

Even with academic discounts, you should comparison shop. Some sites may vary slightly on the price of software. The differences won't be great, but you could save an extra $5 or $10 per software title by shopping carefully.

Make an exact list of specifications. Include the amount of memory and hard drive size. Form factor and processor are also important, but maybe you can be more flexible on these.

Then, compare prices at different retailers. But make sure you're comparing apples with apples. Buy the computer with the lowest price.

And remember, you may find a better deal if you watch advertising circulars. You should also check price comparison sites.

DON'T BE FOOLED

Some academic sites offer computers from companies that don't have academic pricing. These may not carry a discount at all, so don't be fooled. Only manufacturers with academic pricing are guaranteed to offer academic discounts.

I mentioned that these sites carry cameras and other hardware. This is one area where comparison-shopping definitely pays. You might not get much of a deal on these items.

Contact Kim Komando at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.