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“What’s the Difference Between Adobe Student Editions vs. Regular?”
What Are the Limitations of the Adobe Student & Teacher Versions?
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Hello, I am a recent graduate from an art institute and I’ve been buying Adobe educational products for years. It started back in high school with a version of CS2 Design Premium for PC; once I got to college I also got a CS3 Web Premium for Mac. Now that I’ve graduated I no longer have access to my school and their programs, so I’ve found I wanted After Effects and Encore for my video editing.
I decided I wanted the CS5 Production Premium to help me with my demo reel and portfolio. I normally purchase educational versions that already come with the serial number, in fact I didn’t know there was a difference between student & teacher / educational versions until I bought one and found this card saying I have to prove eligibility.
It also said something that I would have to pay a yearly license? Is that true for the educational version too or only for the S & T version? And does that mean that I literally have to pay for a new license every year to use it?
I’ve never had to do that with my past versions and I’ve been using them for years, installed and reinstalled onto the computer without any problems. This is all quite confusing for me and I’m worried I won’t be able to use it at all being graduated already.
I’d greatly appreciate some clues to what’s going on here, I see you seem very helpful to all the questioners. Thank you in advance! :)
Hi Melissa, sorry to say we’re as confused as you are! If you are a recent graduate, and you have no further academic connection, then you wouldn’t normally qualify to buy any sort of Adobe education edition, Student & Teacher or otherwise…
However, with your older tools you would qualify for Adobe’s special offer to get a CS5.5 Premium Suite for half price – check it out.
In any event, the only Adobe products that require a renewing or annual license are the subscription editions, which are now offered as an alternative to permanent licensing for CS5.5. It’s less expensive up-front but you quickly catch up to the full cost for the regular version instead.
All other Adobe software (including all of the education and Student & Teacher editions) is licensed in perpetuity, meaning it’s permanent.
Hope this helps sort out some of any confusion!
@ ProDesignTools
I think what confused me the most was this card that came with the Student & Teacher version mentioning a yearly license. It was very vague to what that meant, leading me to think I’d have to possibly renew my eligibility every year or even pay, which sort of freaked me out.
Thank you for the information on the half-price deal, wish I would have found this forum before, heh! It at least won’t be a total loss for us in the end, my younger brother is going for a similar degree, and as I bought it from another site other than Adobe, I won’t be able to return it.
Thank you again, your info is easier to understand than the Adobe website’s. :)
Sure Melissa. To be clear, Adobe’s Student & Teacher Editions for education do not have any renewal or subscription or annual license or expiration… Just an initial verification of eligibility.
And some good news – even if you bought your product from somewhere else than Adobe, you can still return it directly to Adobe for a full money-back refund within 30 days! Then, you could purchase whatever else you wanted instead. Yes, it’s little-known but true.
Thank you for your visit and your kind words, and please stop back anytime!
How do I show Adobe my qualifications as a student and, are there any restrictions as to the type of student you are? I take lessons at the Art Student’s League in Manhattan. This is a wonderful art school, but they do not offer degrees.
What does Adobe ask for?
Welcome Karen, thanks for your question. From how we read it, Adobe does require the higher education schools to be able to grant degrees… But please check their full eligibility page for complete details.
But even if you didn’t qualify, you may still be able to purchase an CS5.5 suite for 50% off with coupon.
I want to purchase Photoshop CS5 for my daughter in high school as a surprise birthday gift. I have her eligibility requirements and everything, but I want to make the purchase under my account with my credit card.
Will this be OK? She doesn’t have a credit card and I want her gift to remain a surprise, but I don’t want to run into any issues. Thank you!
Greetings Tina, appreciate your comment… Please see this set of 4 questions and 4 answers, and that should help – thanks!
My brother just graduated college and got a brand new iMac. I wanted to get him CS5 with my student discount – is that okay or will it not work now that he’s graduated?
Hello Greg, please check out this earlier question and response, and that should answer it. Some of the surrounding comments on that page may be helpful for you too.
I am graphic designer and am still in high school in the 11th grade. I’ve been doing print designs and logo designs using Adobe since eighth grade. I want to start my own company doing this, but I can’t afford the full version…
How can I get the student version, and can I use all the same features as the full version like emailing designs and getting things printed? And can you change platforms with the student version?
PLEASE RESPOND
Good for you Jewel! Getting the student edition is easy – just go to the Adobe Education Store, make your purchase at ~80% off, and then you can download the software to get started immediately. Once Adobe has confirmed your student status, they will email you your permanent serial number that will never expire.
And yes, you can do all the same things with the academic version that you can with the commercial version! There are no limitations on the features or functionality.
And yes, you can also swap platforms with the student version to move from Windows to Mac (or vice versa) when or if you need to.
Hope this helps and good luck with your business!
Thanks so much for the info – very helpful, all I gotta do is get money!
Hey there, I’ve really wanted to a buy Photoshop software for a few years now, but seeing the prices it’s been too much for me :|
…until the other day when I saw Photoshop S & T edition which was reasonably priced – and I’m thinking of buying it but I’m not sure what to write in the student status bit, because I don’t have any degrees at this age :|
I’m in sixth form (college), by the way.
I’m not quite sure what it means by commercial use; does it mean that I can’t advertise my work or resell the software??
And do I need to pay yearly for that license thing??
Hey Waheeda, let’s try to clear that up a bit. Definitely you want to buy an education edition before you get a degree – because once you graduate, you’re no longer eligible! You have to be a student (or teacher) to qualify. And yes, it’s a terrific deal at 80% off the normal price.
Next point: Commercial use means anything that is for profit. So that is totally allowed with these versions. In other words, you could use your Photoshop CS5 for business purposes as well as school purposes, if you so desire. There is no longer any restriction on that for the student editions.
But you cannot resell the software (that is different).
Lastly, there are no yearly payments or renewals or subscriptions or expirations or anything like that with these products… You just purchase the software once, up-front, and the license is yours to keep permanently for life. That’s all there is to it.
@ProDesignTools
Hey, again thank you for all the information you have given me… :)
It’s really helped but I just need to ask one more question…
Well, what I wanted to do with Photoshop is basically digital paintings, but I’m not sure which software I should purchase… Should I buy Adobe Photoshop CS5 or Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended???
Great question Waheeda! Luckily we have an article that will tell you the exact differences between Photoshop “Standard” vs. Extended…
For you though, if you’re buying the Student Editon, there is really no choice you have to make – because the version of Photoshop offered to education customers is always Extended!
Hi, what does it mean when it says “Each eligible person may purchase only one copy per product title”?
As I currently have a copy for my computer, but am looking into getting another copy when I purchase a new laptop. Will this be a problem?
(I am a student – the current copy is a student edition and so will be the next copy.)
Thanks!
Hi Katrina, all this means is you’re allowed to purchase a single copy of each student edition title per year. In other words, if you’ve already purchased CS5.5 Design Premium for Windows, you couldn’t buy another of the exact same.
However you could purchase the Mac version, or get CS5.5 Master Collection instead, as they both are technically different titles.
Importantly, Creative Suite 5 is different from Creative Suite 5.5. So if you previously bought a CS5 student edition, you could now buy any 5.5 version, even if it were the same application or suite (e.g., Design Premium, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc). CS3 and CS4 naturally are different versions as well.
For more details, see the excellent FAQ: How many copies of an Adobe STE can be purchased?
Also, something that may be of further assistance to you: you are allowed to install each product on up to two computers, so you may already be able to use what you have on both a desktop and laptop computer.
Hope this helps!
I recently purchased Adobe Photoshop CS5.5 teachers and student edition for my wife, who is a paraprofessional at the local elementary school. Is there a problem with this or will I have to return the product?
If I have to return the product, can I reorder it in my wife’s name?
Welcome Anthony, thank you for your good question. Technically speaking, only qualified individuals are meant to purchase the education editions. But the most important aspect comes after the purchase, with the Eligibility Verification. So if you bought it for your wife, who is the eligible and exclusive user, and she is able to validate her status online there (using the product code contained in the package) to receive a permanent serial number, then you should be okay.
But if that doesn’t work, then you could indeed return the product for a full refund directly to Adobe within 30 days (even after opening, provided the software is not activated), and then reorder it with your wife as the recipient and customer.
In other words, when Adobe says the software is not transferrable or giftable, we think they really mean for once the product is activated by a student or teacher and made permanent for that customer.
I am wondering if Singapore students can use Adobe Student Editons bought from the US?
Greetings Bill, for that question please see this earlier comment and response – thanks!
Hi, I’m a student and I’ve already purchased Photoshop CS5 Extended for students. Now I’m taking a class in web design that uses Dreamweaver and Flash animation.
Is there a way I can upgrade or do I need to buy the CS5.5 Web Premium fully. It seems such a waste since I can’t sell the Photoshop CS5 Extended student version. Any suggestions would be very appreciated.
Thanks,
Sandi
Hello Sandi, Adobe does not offer discounted upgrades for the education editions because these versions are already offered up to 80% off the full prices – and usually it’s cheaper just to buy a full new student edition than to upgrade normally anyway…
For example, in your case you can buy CS5.5 Web Premium (which includes Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, and several others) for just $449, whereas a normal customer who upgrades from your Photoshop CS5 Extended to a commercial version of the same exact CS5.5 suite would pay $1,399!
And you’re right that you can’t sell or give away your current student edition, as Adobe academic versions are in your name and non-transferrable… However, you could use it on another computer that you may have.
Best of luck with your class!
I am wondering how you go about submitting the required proof that you are a student/teacher?
Will the program prompt you to type the information in, or will you need to send proof, such as pay stubs, via mail?
And does this all happen after you purchase the product?
Thanks!
Hey there Michelle, good questions – the validation all happens online at the Eligibility Verification Site…
Surprisingly, it does take place after your purchase of the education version, using a “product code” contained within. You then provide proof of your academic status via an upload, email or fax – and the process to receive a permanent license key takes less than two business days.
For all the details, just read the “Help” section on that site.
I teach graphic design part-time at a local college. I am curious about academic pricing and two machines, same OS, non-concurrent usage.
I understand that with standard licenses I can install CS5.5 on both my Macbook Air and iMac, at the same time, and am just limited not using them at the same moment. I have been told by Adobe Support that they “think” the same would hold true of academic licenses, but I would like to get a definitive answer:
If I install the education edition on my iMac to use at home, but bring my Macbook Air to school with the same license, as long as my iMac is off, am I OK with the same license on my Air (and vice versa)?
Thanks!
Yes Geo, we can confirm that the question of “how many computers” is the same for the education versions (e.g., the Student & Teacher Editions) – and that the scenario you describe will work perfectly.
Thanks for your comment and please stop back anytime!
If I buy the teacher/student edition am I allowed to just use the serial number or do I need to activate the whole software? The reason I ask this is because I already have Photoshop CS5.1 on my computer however my serial code is not valid anymore. I only ask this because I downloaded a bunch of actions in my Photoshop, which I can’t lose. I’m currently a student at a university so I’m eligible.
Hi Christy, when you validate your student status with Adobe, you give them the product code from your purchase and then they send you a permanent license key via direct email… Once that’s completed, all you’d have to do then is enter that serial number into your installed version of Photoshop CS5.1 (which is the current release), and it should work perfectly – the new serial will take the place of the old.
Education customers can also convert a downloaded trial into a permanent student version.
Thank you so much for your help Prodesign!
I am a graduate student and would like to purchase the cs5.5 design premium. How many computers can I use the software on? I have more than one laptop and would like to use it on multiple machines. Is this possible?
Yes, indeed it is Melody – and here is your complete answer:
Can You Run Adobe Software on Multiple Computers?
I can’t tell you how happy and relieved I am to learn that I can use the Adobe Student & Teacher Edition commercially!
In class, a fellow student told me the day after I bought the software, that I couldn’t do this – and I literally didn’t hear a word the teacher said for a full 30 minutes because I was freaking out.
Thank you for this forum! Very informative!
You’re very welcome Wendy – so glad to help out and put your mind to ease!
Your classmate was sort of correct, if talking about the older (CS4 and earlier) Adobe education editions, which were not usable for commercial purposes for customers outside of North America…
But now, beginning with Creative Suite 5, everyone’s on the same page – and it’s no problem worldwide.
Good luck with your work and studies!
I have already obtained serial numbers for Dreamweaver and Photoshop after submitting my photo ID. However, my home computer’s DVD drive stopped working. I tried to download the programs from the Adobe site (via the education edition page) but the serial numbers I received won’t work to get the downloaded copies installed as fully registered.
Is there anything that can be done to get these programs working via a download or do I have to wait two weeks until a new external DVD drive comes from Amazon? (In the meantime, I will try copying the discs I have on my laptop to an ISO file so I can load them virtually on the desktop to install, but I’m not sure I can successfully copy the discs that way.) Thank you.
Welcome Ann, sorry you’re having difficulties. In theory, the free trials for Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 should convert into permanent versions when you enter your student serial numbers into them.
But even if they don’t for some reason, they should still be fully-functional for 30 days – which should give you enough time to replace your DVD drive.
*** You could also try contacting Adobe and ask if they can change or exchange your previous order to the download version instead of the boxed disc version – and that should enable links within your Adobe ID account to download your products directly.
Does that hopefully help or answer your question?
Hi! I’ve been looking for Adobe Photoshop, and they all seem to run at very expensive prices! Then I found the Student and Teacher Edition.
If I have recently had an interest in photo editing would I be able to get this product? I am a student in college and I’m wondering how I would be able to confirm my student status.
Thanks!
Greetings, if you’re a student in college you should most likely be able to qualify… Just check Adobe’s eligibility page to be sure, and then you can easily buy and verify the product from there.
Thanks for your comment!
Do I have to have a degree in art to get this product? Also, would I be able to order it off of Amazon, or do I strictly need to buy it off of this website?
It doesn’t matter what you’re studying; it can be anything so long as you’re enrolled and your school meets the requirements given in that link in the previous reply.
Don’t know how it works on Amazon, we’ve never purchased these products from them. With Adobe, it’s simple – you just go through a quick validation process and then the product becomes yours permanently. Adobe will sort it out if you have any questions or it doesn’t work for some reason.
PS – Right now there’s an additional 10%-off discount available when buying the education editions direct from Adobe, so that should help.
Hi, I’m sorry if this has been answered but I just want to clarify something.
I bought the CS4 version with a student discount in Feb. of 2010. Now, I thought the main difference in my version and CS4 was that I couldn’t use it commercially. But when I went to Adobe’s website, it says you CAN. Is this only for CS5 Student or did Adobe just change the rules?
The reason I ask is that I’ve had authors ask me about making book covers and I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to sell my graphic to their publishing company with my CS4 Student Edition.
Hello Rachel, good question. The answer is that Adobe did change the rules, but only for customers outside of North America…
If you’re in the U.S. or Canada and own CS4, you still can (could) use the Student & Teacher edition for commercial purposes. It was only folks in other geographies who didn’t have that ability before. Now, starting with CS5, everyone can.
Oh okay, thank you! I recently bought CS5 Student but I might take it back now. Since I already own one student version, do I have to go through an upgrading process instead if I wanted to? Or can I just install CS5?
It says on the box: “Only for distribution in North America.”
I feel stupid, haha, but does that mean that this product can only be SOLD in North America, or does it mean anything I make can only be sold in North America?
Sure Rachel. To answer your first question, there are no upgrades from one education edition to another education edition… Each student/teacher version stands alone. You can however upgrade from a student edition to a full commercial version via the normal upgrade path, but the prices are usually lower just to buy a newer (80%-off) student edition instead.
The distribution restriction on the Creative Suite software has to do with the product itself, not for anything you create with it or from it… For your work, you can reach and distribute all over the world… :) Good luck with your project!
What is the difference between Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 Plus and Photoshop CS5 or CS5.5 Student and Teacher edition? I need to be able to use it on my home computer and on my laptop.
Hi Donna, Photoshop Elements is essentially a “lite” version of the full, gold-standard Photoshop. Generally speaking, it does considerably less but is a bit simpler to learn – and is targeted mostly at consumers and hobbyists.
However, for the education versions, Adobe offers a deep discount for Photoshop CS5 Extended – 80% off – whereas they drop the price of the Elements tools only by 20%. So, for students, your better value is to get the full Photoshop CS5, which normally costs a great deal more.
Regarding your last question, you can run either product on up to two of your computers.