What You Unlock With a .edu Address
This isn’t just “a free email.” It’s a skeleton key to every student perk on the internet.
| Perk | What You Get | Normal Price |
|---|
| GitHub Education Pack | GitHub Pro + Copilot + $200 Azure credits + 50+ dev tools | $200+/year |
| JetBrains | Every IDE free (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.) | $249/year |
| Amazon Prime Student | Half-price Prime — $7.49/mo instead of $14.99 | Saves ~$90/year |
| Apple Music Student | $5.99/mo + free Apple TV+ | Saves ~$60/year |
| Notion | Free Plus plan | $10/mo normally |
| Adobe Creative Cloud | 60%+ discount on full suite | Saves $300+/year |
| Autodesk | Full suite free (AutoCAD, Fusion, etc.) | $1,700+/year |
| Unidays | Discounts at 800+ brands | Varies |
| Microsoft 365 Education | Free Office suite + 1TB OneDrive | $70/year |
| Figma | Free Education plan | $12/mo normally |
One email. Hundreds of dollars in free stuff. Every year. As long as the email stays active.
Links You Need
Bookmark both. You’ll bounce between them.
The Full Process — Step by Step
Step 1 — Start the Application
Go to the Application Page and fill out the basics.
What you’ll need to enter:
Name, email, date of birth
SSN and other standard fields — how you handle those is on you
Critical settings during the application:
| Field | What to Choose | Why |
|---|
| Term | 2026 Summer or 2026 Fall | Do NOT choose Spring — it won’t work |
| Course type | Career Enhancing / Personal Interest | Not degree-seeking — keeps it simple |
| Student type | Full Time | Required for email activation |
| Diploma/GED | Select “No” | Don’t upload any files — skip everything you can |
Fill it out. Click Submit. Don’t close the tab yet.
Wait a few minutes — you should receive a confirmation email about your successful application.
Step 2 — Find Your Student ID (You Need This as Your Password)
After you get the confirmation email:
Go back to the Application Page
Log in with the same email you used to apply
Find your Student ID — this is your initial password for the portal
Your confirmation email will also contain your username. Save both.
| What | Where to Find It |
|---|
| Username | In the confirmation email |
| Initial Password | Your Student ID — found on the application portal after logging in |
Step 3 — Log Into the Student Portal
Go to the Student Portal
Enter your username (from email) and password (your Student ID)
It’ll ask you to set a new password — do it
You’re inside the portal now
But your .edu email isn’t active yet. One more step.
Step 4 — Register for a Class (This Triggers the Email)
This is the key step most people miss. Your .edu email only activates after you register for at least one class. You’re not paying for it. You’re not attending. You just need to register.
How to find and register for a class:
On the Portal home page → click Student Planning
Accept the terms and conditions
On the new page → click the ☰ menu (3 lines) on the left side
Go to Academics → Course Catalog
A search window opens — now find a class that has no prerequisites
How to find a class with no prerequisites:
Change subjects and terms in the filters
Look for intro-level courses
Example that works: ACCT-161-DL1: Principles of Accounting I
Register for it
If you see a popup saying “Student’s Academic Level Doesn’t Meet Requirements” — don’t panic. Just back out and try a different class. Keep looking until one lets you register clean. There are plenty.
Step 5 — Wait for Activation (12-24 Hours)
After registering for a class, your .edu email starts provisioning.
Most people get it within 12 hours
Maximum wait is about 24 hours
Don’t keep refreshing every 5 minutes — go do something else
How to access your email once it’s active:
Log into the Student Portal
Click OCC Mail on the dashboard
It redirects to the login page — use your portal credentials
You’re in. That’s your .edu address.
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Things to Know Before You Start
Heads Up — Read This So You Don’t Waste Your Time
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