How to Save 75% with New Adobe CS6 Student & Teacher Editions
May 3rd, 2012 Leave a comment
Let’s face it, Adobe’s normal product prices can seem expensive, especially if you’re on a student’s budget. The regular prices for Creative Suite 6 range run from $399 for Dreamweaver through Photoshop Extended for $999 and up to $2,599 for the Master Collection suite, which contains every CS6 product available – nearly twenty in all. As great and powerful as this software is, it could be hard to afford these prices when you’re in school.
Fortunately, Adobe offers deep discounts for education customers – up to 75% off. So the price for Dreamweaver becomes almost a third of what it was, $149 – while for the Design Standard suite (containing Photoshop + Illustrator + InDesign + Acrobat Pro) it drops by two-thirds, to $449. For most products the price cut is similar – for example, Photoshop CS6 Extended (the top-of-the-line version) goes from $999 to $349. The top-selling CS6 Design & Web Premium suite becomes $599 instead of $1,899. And Flash Builder 4.6 falls from $249 to free – yes, FREE for students and educators…
In addition, it’s not just the Creative Suite products that are available with the savings. You can also get Lightroom 4, Acrobat XI, and Photoshop or Premiere Elements 11. For example, Lightroom 4 for student photographers costs $79 instead of the normal price of $149, while Acrobat XI Pro is $119 instead of $449.
If you want it all, and all in one complete (and fantastic) package, then Adobe is now offering the new Creative Cloud at a 60%-off discount for students and teachers (just $19/month) – and that gives you the entire CS6 Master Suite and more – basically, all the best products that Adobe makes.
[ Which option is right for you? See: Adobe CS6 vs. Creative Cloud ]
All of this software is now available via instant download at the Adobe Education Store for both Windows and Mac OS. Adobe’s education discounts are available internationally as well – in other countries and currencies (Europe/euro, UK/pound, Australia/dollar), and the percentage reductions are similar.
To get these much-reduced prices, essentially all you have to do is prove your academic status at a qualified school. Most students and teachers of most grades and institutions can qualify, from elementary through university levels. Importantly, even part-time students or folks who enroll for a class at their local community college can be eligible – there is no age restriction. If you think about it, sometimes going back to school could even pay for itself in such situations.
When you purchase this software it does not come with a serial number – rather it comes with a special product code that you need to validate with your status and then Adobe will send you a permanent license key to activate and run the CS6 software. Proof of enrollment can include your school ID card, report card, transcript, tuition bill or statement, etc. Documents dated within the last six months are considered current.
The verification and conversion all happens online so it takes only 1-2 business days. In the meantime, you’ll be able to install your product as a 30-day free trial to get started using it.
The student and teacher editions work the same as the regular versions, and the license does not expire. You can also use this software for commercial purposes if you so desire. However there remain some differences between the two with limitations of the education versions that are important to know about and understand.
You can install the software on up to two computers, and if for some reason you change your mind after buying, you can easily return the product within 30 days of purchase to Adobe.
A Word on Software Piracy – “If It Sounds Too Good To Be True…”
Some folks think they might be able to do better by trying to find and download Adobe software for free or cheap using torrents, cracks, keygens, untrusted sources, unfamiliar sellers, old or used versions, no-name websites, and so on. The first thing to say is any electronic download or serial number delivery from anywhere besides Adobe is inauthentic, so it’s illegal. The second thing is that it’s very risky – but not only because it’s illegal…
Increasingly, the desire to save money on software by getting it from sources or sites you’ve never heard of leads to identity theft, credit card fraud, virus infections, email spamming, and more. A great deal of the hacked and illegitimate Adobe software out there now is embedded with malware. This malware includes viruses, worms, and trojans that can do significant harm to your computer, data, and privacy (like quietly taking your sensitive information such as logins, passwords, and credit card numbers).
For example, the Asia-Pacific region has a very high piracy rate of 60%, and correspondingly the highest rate of infection in the world – nearly 70% of the computers in these countries are riddled with malware. There is a direct correlation.
In other words, the hackers that create and distribute these “free” or “cheap” copies are receiving payback in other ways (e.g., backdoors) – meaning in the end, you can do far worse damage to your computer and yourself than to Adobe. Why install unknown and untrusted software onto your valuable system? Why give a stranger control of your machine, or your financial credentials?
Further, the agencies are really cracking down now on download theft – note in a case out this week, the authorities have obtained the location and contact information on 23,000 illegal BitTorrent users and the fines paid are $3,000 per download!
Lastly, stay away from deals or “bargains” on eBay or Craigslist, or any seller you’ve never heard of (including on Amazon Marketplace), or anything that seems too good to be true – because it probably is… authentic-looking fakes are everywhere. Reputation means everything in this area – because you don’t want to end up in regret, like so many there do, after their money has left their hands permanently and the software or their computer has stopped working.
Read more details on why you shouldn’t buy from eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Marketplace.
So all in all, it’s not something for nothing – and really the only sensible and safe choice is getting the real deal straight from Adobe at 80% off the regular prices.
Here’s a helpful Student & Teacher Eligibility Guide, as well as a key Adobe Education FAQ that should answer any other questions you may have…
Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.
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@Srinivas
i have found out that i cant buy a student teacher version of CS6 here in India. but can my brother who is a professor in USA buy a teacher/student version there, activate and send it to me here for my use????
Welcome Srinivas, thanks for your questions. Per the limitations of Adobe’s education versions, they are not transferrable – meaning one person can’t buy it and then sell/give it to another. This restriction is likely to prevent the products from being purchased by a student/teacher but being sold or used by a non-qualified individual.
In your case, both your brother and you likely qualify as academic users. However, we can’t really answer the question for you on whether it would work, as really Adobe makes the rules and you have to contact them for the definitive answer.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Hi Srinivas,
I recently picked up a CS 5.5 Design Premium Student Edition in April and given what I had gone through to get it, I just HAD to reply to your post to help a fellow Indian out. :-)
I picked up my copy from Adobe’s Authorised Reseller in India for their Student and Teacher Editions (Ample Technologies). Their contact info is from Adobe’s list of Resellers at:
http://www.adobe.com/in/purchase
Please check this page for the two suite-only products officially available in India for Students and Teachers. It also covers the different Student and Teacher Edition products available in other Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea:
http://www.adobe.com/in/education/student-eligibility-guide.html
As far as I know, unlike in the USA, Adobe does not make individual products available under their Student and Teacher program in India. So if you want just Photoshop CS6 alone officially in India under the Student and Teacher program, you are out of luck.
The cheapest alternative would be the Student and Teacher Edition of CS6 Design Standard (which includes Photoshop CS6) and if you want the Extended version of Photoshop CS6, you will have to pick up the CS6 Design & Web Premium Suite. These are the only two options available in India.
I can understand the running around you must have done for information, since I experienced no differently. Hope this helps.
Joe.
That’s very helpful, and even we learned something – thank you for sharing and posting that Joe!
hi joe
so there are still rainbows happening!!! can’t thank you enough. you have been more than kind. you see my interest in acquiring PS CS6 is purely for photography to which i am hooked. i have used the trial version of CS5 and it is more than enough for me. does the CS5.5 design premium student edition contain the cs5? and similarly does the CS6 contain the cs6?
thanks for all your help
best regards
srini
Yes Srini, all Adobe suites contain either Photoshop or Photoshop Extended. See the CS6 Product Matrix or CS5 Product Matrix.
Also check out all the differences between Photoshop CS6 vs. CS5 – customers generally feel CS6 is a much better tool and nicer/easier/faster to work with.
Adobe only sells CS6 now, so you may have great difficulty trying to find a safe and legitimate older version of the software from somewhere else. In fact, we generally do not recommend it.
Good luck!
hi joe
i was a bit preoccupied so this late response. i have just ordered the Student/Faculty edition of CS6 instead of hunting for CS5.
thank you ever so much for all your time and help. i really appreciate it
best regards
srini
Hi, I’m a student, can I still buy Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended Student version? How much does it cost?
What happens if I install it on a system and the PC crashes or is stolen. can I install it again on a new system that belongs to me?
Hi Ayo, Adobe no longer sells Photoshop CS5, but they do have the new Photoshop CS6 Extended Student & Teacher Edition, which is considerably better. It costs US$249, which is a discount of 75% off the regular price of the commercial product.
And there’s no problem on transferring your license to a new computer whenever you want, even in the case of loss or theft… In fact, you can install your Adobe education software on up to two systems that you own.
Hope this helps – and if you have any further questions, feel free to post back.
Hi ProDesignTools,
I was hoping you might be able to save my brain from melting :). You seem to have a better idea about Adobe software than Adobe so I hope you can help me. I am thinking of purchasing the Adobe Master Collection Student and Teacher edition. I am in the UK and I am desperately trying to get a definitive answer as to whether I can use if for commercial purposes or not and after I finish being a student.
I know this has been asked many times and I am pretty sure the answer is yes as long as it is on my privately-owned computer. But even though it is heavily discounted it is still a lot of money for me and being able to use it commercially is a deal breaker. I would be greatly indebted if you could provide an answer with a valid live Adobe reference/source saying that this is okay in UK. There seems to be lots of old/incorrect information about different versions and only in North America and I am so confused.
Kind regards,
Chris
Yes Chris, definitely!
It used to be Adobe’s rules were different for US vs. international with the education editions (hence the confusion) – but now it’s permitted worldwide to use them for commercial purposes, now and also after you graduate…
Here’s one place (hard to find) where it’s documented very clearly on their site: Adobe Education FAQ
Of course, as you noted there are other limitations of Adobe education editions, but nothing that’s a dealbreaker for you.
Thanks for reaching out and hope we helped… We guarantee the answer so go for it, and enjoy your new software!
Thank you :).
Best Regards,
Chris
Hi,
I am interested in getting Photoshop CS6 Extended to run on several computers at my school. I went to the download/education site, and price was listed as $299 for the education discount. Does this include the ability to install and run on more than one machine?
Thank you for your help
Greetings Richard, it sounds like you would be interested in Adobe’s multiple computer discount for Education… With those volume versions, you can set up as many machines as you need.
Normally with Adobe’s regular student & teacher editions, you can install each on up to two systems but one user only.
Hope that answers your question!
Hello, I have 2 questions:
1- How do I get the student edition (in Egypt) of Adobe Flash Professional CS6?
2- What is Adobe Flash Builder 4.7 is using at?
Hello there, we don’t fully understand your second question, but for the first you can go to Adobe’s International Store Selector and choose your country… If Student & Teacher Editions are available for your geography, then they will be linked from there.
None of this is really true. The software people use on their old aged pc’s sometimes is all free. It’s not about saving money, it’s about not even having money to buy a pc to begin with. It’s given to them, or dumpster dug. Most freeware can be had at cnet, etc, and the serials and activators are working mods that don’t contain anything but a hack//work around.
Back in the days of Kazaa and bearshare you’d get a virus or infectious code 3 times out of every 10 or so downloads. Now it’s a rarity although the virus companies are calling all kinds of things “virus’s” and “malware” these days.
That’s why in many instructions even in legit freeware you have to add an exception to your protection suite. This article is likely not doing much if any good for those happening upon here because they are poor, broke, and new to the world of pirating.
IF this article and the thousands upon thousands like it were true, they wouldn’t be screaming for legislation to end piracy sites, etc, etc, etc.
Everyone would download something, get burnt by it and then learn their lesson that way.
But we know that’s very very VERY rare these days, now don’t WE?!?!
Ketch, this article has been very carefully researched and you are welcome to confirm any of the references and facts linked within… Statistics consistently demonstrate an indisputable correlation between high piracy rates and high malware infection rates, it’s indisputable. The most recent analysis (just one month ago) shows a 63 percent infection rate from pirated software, even if it was not often evident to the users.
Meanwhile, manufacturers and legal authorities continue to step up their campaigns and fines against lawbreakers, as it’s no different from trying to shoplift. And for anyone looking to find “deals” in the secondary market instead of direct from Adobe, in recent years the fake versions have become very difficult to tell.
You may have gotten lucky in your experience if you’ve ever opened your computer to untrusted programs, but as Schopenhauer said: “Every man mistakes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.”
In the meantime Adobe now offers the entire CS6 Master Collection and more for less than $1/day to all students and teachers, so you really have to ask yourself if taking imprudent risks is worth it.
Hello, I just upgraded my Mac to OSX 10.8.6 Mountain Lion and my Adobe Creative Suite CS5 is running slow. Apple tells me the o/s will not perform at its best on Adobe CS5, is there a plug-in to use? Help I am a designer and need maximum performance.
Greetings Juliana, this is what Adobe officially has to say about running CS5, CS5.5 & CS6 on Mountain Lion…
But see also this Help Forum as there may be other things running on your Mac that are slowing down your Creative Suite.
Hello,
We run a small (40 student) private music school and would like to know if we will be able to attain the registration key needed to activate the teacher addition of CS6. We are a for-profit licensed and bonded business, however we do not have any government accreditation for our school. Can you tell me the exact proof of Eligibility needed to activate the software?
We purchased the software in a box from our local Staples office supply store at the Teacher discount, however I have not tried to install it because I want to get a definitive answer before I break the seal on the box and lose the ability to return the product and re-purchase at full price.
I spoke with a representative at Adobe but they did not give me details about the necessary documentation to prove eligibility. They only encouraged me to buy the product online and if I choose to buy the product in person, the retailer would vet our eligibility before selling us the product. The retailer did not have any further information and did not require any proof of eligibility to see us the product at the discount.
Any details about the actual proof of eligibility for a teacher to activate the product would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
-Hester
Welcome Hester, thanks for stopping by with your (good) questions. Unfortunately, the rep you spoke to for Adobe gave you some slightly incorrect information. If you are not absolutely 100% certain of your ability to purchase with the significant education discount, then you should not buy a box from a retailer or reseller…
Why? The reason is because there is no vetting that happens before purchase, there never is… All the verification happens after purchase, and in fact even after you open the box – see the Eligibility Verification Process Overview here. You need the “product code” to get your permanent serial number, and the product code is located inside the box!
Once you break the seal and open any box of software, most resellers will not take it back. And if Adobe does not approve your academic eligibility or credentials, then you would not be able to use the product. And you’d then be completely stuck because Adobe Student & Teacher Editions cannot be resold either.
So what do you do? The answer is buy the education version direct from Adobe, because then the software is fully returnable for a refund if you need or want to for any reason within 30 days, even if opened. These versions are already heavily discounted so a few bucks more or less in price should hopefully not make a difference. Or, you could buy the download version from Adobe and then all the logistics would be even simpler.
As for whether your school would be eligible or not, we can’t give you a definitive answer on that because we are not Adobe and don’t interpret or decide who receives the discounts… We can only refer you to the official eligibility rules.
But our safe and strong recommendation would be to simply purchase it straight from Adobe, then go ahead and submit your credentials as normal. You’ll hear back within 1-2 business days. Hopefully it will all work out, but if not for some reason, then you can easily get a full and complete refund – and will have lost nothing.
Anyway, hope this helps, and answers all your questions – if not then just post back!
(And in fact, we should probably write a new post about exactly this topic because it’s a long explanation that could help a lot of people that regrettably fall into this trap.)
Hello, what a nice site.
You seem to be in the know — can I authorize Adobe CS6 Production Suite I bought in USA with my UK student credentials?
Thanks,
/// zetty
Hey there Zetty, that question has been asked here before – for the answer see this previous comment from Sophie.
I just want to check—is this info still accurate? I thought I read somewhere that Adobe no longer sells Student/Teacher static editions at all.
If I’ve got my info straight, you can either: 1. Get Creative Cloud at full price ($50/month); 2. Get CC at educator’s/teacher’s price ($20/month up until you stop being a student or teacher, and through the end of that year); 3. Get a static version of CS6 for full price (about $1900 for Design & Web Premium) OR, if you’re fast on the draw, 4. Go right now to an authorized reseller and get a student/teacher edition quickly before they run out of stock!
I did this last option. $450 for CS6 Design & Web Premium STE. Life is good. :)
I thought you guys at pro design tools might want to add an “update” header to this page. (Also, do I have my facts right?)
Hi Mike,
Your information is basically correct, however Adobe does still directly sell both the traditional CS6 Student & Teacher Editions as well as the Creative Cloud for Students & Teachers. With what you describe, it sounds like you might have found some dated inventory at an older price… All retailers basically match Adobe’s direct education prices if you check them online. It’s possible that an item remained in your local area with an old price, but it’s not something generally repeatable.
In any event, the number of resellers is now diminishing significantly because Adobe has eliminated boxes and moved to a download-only delivery model.
On the whole, trying to buy the education editions from a third party can be problematic – because if for some reason Adobe does not approve your academic validation, your box is already opened and you typically cannot return opened software to stores. You also could not resell it because the student/teacher versions are not transferrable.
Buying direct from Adobe does not encounter this problem because of their ironclad 30-day return policy which means you can always get your money back no matter what you’ve done with the software or what happens with verification. That goes for both the Cloud as well as traditional products.