It’s hard to believe that school is looming for students yet again. If you’re living in a college town you’re probably bracing for the invasion. This year, why not embrace the students as a local resource for your marketing efforts?

While school is still the furthest thing from the minds of sun-soaked students, professors have been at their desks planning classes for the coming year. Here’s how to become a part of their plans.

Get real world work. Professors appreciate giving their students a real life example instead of a fabricated one. In turn, students typically put more effort into these assignments if their work has a chance of actually being used. So offer to give access to your business as a marketing class project.

Keep it real. Understand what your company needs before you make a pitch to the professor. Do you need market research about your prospects or do you need direction on a full-blown marketing campaign? You want the professor to give clear direction so the students come up with a campaign you can use.

If you know you need to market but don’t know how to do it and you don’t have the cash to throw at a marketing firm, then marketing classes are a viable option. Not only will you be getting some inexpensive marketing help, you’ll be helping students gain valuable experience they can use.