A PhD student has found a creative way to pay for his tuition--by using mail-in rebates.

Jonathan Hood paid for most of his semester tuition at Auburn University -- about $3,500 of it -- by using rebate debit cards and the money he gets from rebate checks.

Hood buys mostly online and scours websites such as Fatwallet.com to find rebate offers. He also created an elaborate system and a computer program to help him in redeeming the deals.

According to Business Insider, Hood receives two to three cards or checks on any given weekday.

Hood said he also uses rebates to pay for his cell phone bill, about $95 each month