One of the most frequent questions revolving email addresses is the one regarding the so-called .edu email address. For those who are not fully familiar, .edu is an email address that each student is given when enrolling in college. The reason students are given this email address lies in the fact that they cannot really use their private email accounts to converse with college administrators, lecturers, professors, etc. They need to have an official email address that is only used for professional and official purposes. However, what happens when you want an .edu email address but you are not a student?

In the following paragraphs, we will try to look briefly into the ways you can actually obtain an .edu email address even if you’re not in school. Even though .edu is reserved for educational institutions and students, .edu email address can be used seemingly by anyone.

What does .edu actually mean?

Before we get into the ways you can have an .edu email address, we should look into the meaning behind this domain extension. Now, .edu is a domain extension that is clearly restricted to educational institutions. This domain extension is usually used by the US-based educational invitations, but it is also used in Europe, however, to a smaller extent. Nevertheless, people who are able to obtain the .edu email address are, of course, students and college/university staff (sometimes .edu email address can be used in high school as well).

The .edu domain extension was first implemented in 1985 by six universities, UCLA being one of them. Ever since the first implementation, the rule of .edu only being used by educational institutions has lost its initial power. Nowadays, different institutions and individuals use the .edu email address. That is why there are so many .edu domain restrictions in the US, especially when it comes to community colleges. To gain access to the .edu domain, one needs to be eligible for application, regardless of whether it is an individual or even an institution. Each eligible institution or individual get only has one registered .edu domain.

Non-school related .edu registration

Benefits

It seems there are several reasons people are trying to obtain the .edu domain, even though they are not in college or members of educational institutions. Rumor has it; email addresses that contain the .edu domain extension can get certain discounts for orders and other benefits. For example, Amazon Prime offers special discounts for .edu email addresses, as it is assumed to be a student discount in question. Moreover, by having an .edu email address, you can obtain Microsoft Office, the student edition, for a significantly discounted price, a Spotify account, a discount at Apple, or certain clothing shops like Levi’s, for example. There are numerous benefits that come with the use of .edu email address, so no wonder people are in frenzy over it.

Ways to get .edu domain

Method 1 

  • Make sure to visit the CCCApply website,
  • Under the ‘Select a community college’, make sure to choose ‘Canada College’,
  • Once you’ve chosen the community college, you’ll be presented with an admission form that you need for the application,
  • Now, it is important to use a California address and school details when filling out the application form,
  • Make sure to use random, generated US addresses,
  • All you have to do now is wait; it can take up to two days to receive the details and of course, the actual email ID ending with the .edu domain.

Method 2 

  • Make sure to visit the Maricopa Community Colleges website,
  • You will be presented with a Maricopa ID form,
  • You will enter the standard personal information,
  • However, you will have to check the ‘I am a new student and have never attended any Maricopa Community Colleges or Skills Center’ box,
  • Then, enter the confirmation code, and click ‘Next’,
  • Continue filling the form; you will need a Social Security Number and a Phone Number to complete the form (you can, of course, use fake SNN and phone number),
  • After completing the form, you will be ascribed with an .edu email address and a student ID.
  • It will take approximately 20min. for you to complete the form and activate your Maricopa account,
  • After the 20min., you will visit the Maricopa Student Email site where you can log in to your .edu email; you will, of course, need the Student ID and a password.

Method 3

The third method will require a small financial investment. You can actually get some on Fiverr to get you an .edu email domain for only $10. If you are not sure about the previous two methods, and you don’t really want to waste time on something you’re not sure will even work, make sure to check Fiverr and simply make an order.

Conclusion

Getting an .edu domain extension can be relatively difficult, but it is definitely doable. You can try some of the recommended methods, even though they might not be ethical, or you can look for online email generators and sites that can provide you with the .edu domain extension. Unless you’re a student, you will have to put in some time, or even money into creating the .edu email address, but considering all the benefits that come with this domain, we say it‘s definitely worth it.