What Is Amazon Prime Student, and Is It Worth It?

This article originally appeared on Tom's Guide and has been inducted into our Future University Back to School guide

Amazon Student gives college students access to free 2-day shipping and a variety of other Amazon-specific services at half the price of the company's traditional Prime membership. It also gives students access to exclusive deals on Amazon Prime Day and access to Amazon's just launched Off-to-College store.




Here's a break down of Amazon Student's main features.

Q.: What is Amazon Prime?



Q.: What is Amazon Student?





A.: Most items that Amazon sells directly or through "qualified sellers" are eligible for free two-day shipping with Amazon Prime. Some of those products are also eligible for free one-day shipping. Oversize items, such as heavy furniture or larger TVs, get free standard shipping. Items sold through third parties (via Amazon Marketplace) are ineligible for Prime shipping discounts.

A.: You can't share your membership with others in your household, as you can with a standard Prime subscription. Though Prime Photos and discounts on new video game releases are included in the six-month free trial period, students do not have access to Amazon's Prime Music, Prime Instant Video or Kindle Lending Library.

A.: You can sign up for a full Prime paid subscription at any time; you don't have to wait for the six-month trial to end.


As far as the additional benefit of streaming services goes, if you are happy with other streaming video or music services you already subscribe to (such as Hulu, Netflix, Apple Music or Spotify), Amazon's media offerings may not provide you with anything new. (Check Amazon Prime's video and music listings to see.) The same is true if you don't read e-books, or if you use another reader, such as Apple iBooks or Google Play Books.

A.: If you don't have an Amazon account, start by setting one up here. It's free, but you will have to register a credit card so that Amazon has a way to charge you for purchases.

You'll also have to verify that you are a student. A college-issued email address ending in .edu qualifies you. (It's just for receiving a confirmation email from Amazon and doesn't have to be the address you use for your Amazon account.) Otherwise, you'll have to email Amazon a scan of a document proving you are a student, such as a transcript or a student ID. Amazon.com explains the details.

If, during the trial period, you decide that Amazon Student isn't worth paying for, go to your account (before the trial period ends), select Manage Prime Membership and click Do Not Continue.



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