One free application. No tuition. No transcripts. No enrollment fee.
UMGC (University of Maryland Global Campus) gives you a legit .edu email that passes SheerID verification — the system Spotify, GitHub, Apple Music, and dozens of other services use to confirm you’re a student.
The application fee ($50) is waived until February 11, 2026. After that, you’re paying $50 for something you could’ve gotten for free. Apply now, set it up later.
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🏴☠️ What This .edu Email Can Unlock
| Service | Status | Notes |
|---|
| Spotify + Hulu (with ads) Student Plan |  Works | SheerID verified |
| YouTube Premium Student | Works | SheerID verified |
| Apple Music Student | Works | SheerID verified |
| GitHub Student Developer Pack | Works | Upload digital student ID + admission letter — ~99% success |
| UNiDAYS | Works | One-click verification |
| JetBrains (all IDEs free) | Works | .edu email verification |
| Microsoft 365 Education | Works | Comes with the email automatically |
| Autodesk (AutoCAD, Maya, etc.) | Works | .edu email verification |
| Amazon Prime Student | Works | 6-month free trial + 50% off after |
| Notion Education | Works | Free Plus plan |
| Canva Education | Works | Full Pro features |
| All Maricopa resources | Works | — |
Hit-or-miss (50/50):
| Service | Issue |
|---|
| Figma Education | May need a high-quality US residential IP — VPN with residential proxy might work |
| Cursor (AI editor) | Asks for government-issued ID verification regardless of which .edu you use |
| Grammarly Education | UMGC hasn’t purchased a campus license — no one can get it through this method |
📝 Step 1 — Submit the Application (10 minutes)
Go here: apply.umgc.edu
Fill in your info:
| Field | What to Enter |
|---|
| Name | Your real name (or whatever name you want on the .edu) |
| Phone | Any working number |
| Email | Use your real email — this is where your .edu credentials arrive |
| ZIP Code | Any valid US ZIP code (match it to the city you pick later) |
| Degree of Interest | Non-Degree or Undergraduate — do NOT pick Graduate |
| Area of Interest | Anything — doesn’t matter |
| Education goal | “Advance my career and skills” |
| Military affiliation | None — selecting “Yes” flags your application for additional verification |
The entire application takes about 10 minutes. Don’t overthink it — it’s designed for working adults to apply quickly.
📝 Step 2 — Account Setup & Personal Details
After the initial page, you’ll create a login:
Use Google sign-in or email verification — your choice
Current location: United States
Everything military-related: No / None / Never — every single question
Fill in address details (match the ZIP code from Step 1)
SSN: This is listed on the form — the application may ask for it
Degree: Stick to Undergraduate or Non-Degree
When to start: Select Summer or Fall term — avoid Spring
High school: Search your chosen city name → pick any school from that city’s results
Residency & tuition: Select Out of State
Payment method: Self Pay / Monthly Plan
📝 Step 3 — Submit & Wait
Double-check everything → click Submit.
The page will spin for a few seconds. You’ll receive a confirmation email at your personal email address saying your application was successfully submitted.
What happens next:
| Milestone | Timeframe |
|---|
| Application confirmation email | Immediately |
| .edu email + temporary password | 3–24 hours |
| Email activation (after registering for a class) | 6–24 hours after Step 5 |
If you get a message about “application fee will be waived in 2-3 business days” — that’s normal. The fee waiver is automatic until Feb 11, 2026.
📝 Step 4 — Access Your .edu Email
You’ll receive an email with:
How to log in:
Go to the UMGC student portal
Enter your .edu email + temp password
It will ask you to set up Microsoft Authenticator (or another authenticator app, or phone number verification)
Set up 2FA → you’re in the portal
Immediately do this: Go to Profile → Change Password → set a real password you’ll remember.
📝 Step 5 — Register for a Class (THIS IS THE KEY STEP)
Your .edu email won’t fully activate until you register for at least one class. This is the step most people skip and then wonder why their email doesn’t work with SheerID.
On the portal home page, click Enroll, then:
| Setting | Select |
|---|
| Term | Summer |
| Dates | All Dates |
| Format | In-Person (not online — don’t worry, you’re not actually going) |
| Location | Leave blank |
| Subject | Human Resources Management or Accounting |
Why these specific subjects? They’re the ones that consistently show “Registration Successful.” Other subjects may say “Not Available” or “Prerequisite Not Met.” If you have time, try other classes too — but these are the reliable ones.
If everyone uses the same two classes, they may fill up. Try different subjects if HR and Accounting show as full.
Then:
Click on a class → Add to Cart
Go to Cart → Register
If it says “Successfully Registered” → you’re done
If it fails → try a different class
After registering: Wait 6–24 hours. Your .edu email will fully activate and start working with external services.
🎯 How to Get GitHub Student Developer Pack & SheerID Benefits
This is where the real value kicks in. Once your .edu is active:
Go to your UMGC portal → Profile
Find your Digital Student ID → take a screenshot
Check the email you used for the application → you should have an Admission Letter → save it as PDF
When SheerID or GitHub asks for verification, upload both:
For GitHub specifically:
Go to education.github.com/pack
Apply with your @student.umgc.edu email
Upload both documents when asked
~99% success rate with this combo
For SheerID services (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Premium, etc.):
Start the student verification during signup
Enter your @student.umgc.edu email
If it asks for document upload → use Digital Student ID + Admission Letter
Most services verify instantly with just the .edu email
⏰ Why the 48-Hour Deadline Matters
UMGC’s application fee is normally $50. Right now it’s $0 — but only until February 11, 2026.
| Before Feb 11 | After Feb 11 |
|---|
| $0 application fee | $50 application fee |
| Same .edu email | Same .edu email |
| Same benefits | Same benefits |
| Free | Not free |
The .edu email itself doesn’t expire — it’s the free application window that closes. Apply now even if you don’t plan to set everything up today. Get the application in while it’s free, activate later.
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