Tired of paying full price for your subscriptions? One man says he discovered a way to help you save big by becoming an online student.
TikTok user Ram Danielle (@ramdanielle) shared the hack in a viral video that has amassed over 60,000 views and thousands of likes as of this writing.
“This feels really illegal, but I found a way to get student discounts if you’re not a student,” the man began in the clip.
He went on to explain that the discount could be used on subscription services. He named Amazon Prime, Apple Music, Spotify, and many others.
Danielle said completing the hack only takes a few minutes, and it could help you save big.
What’s the student discount hack?
Danielle instructed his viewers to go to the Arizona State University Universal Pathways website and register with their personal information.
“After 24 hours, you’re gonna get a link to register your account,” he continued.
According to him, the website then generates an email ending in .edu, which he said could then be used to register subscription accounts and score discounts.
“Here’s my Gmail account of my .edu email,” he said while sharing a screenshot of the account he received after registration.
Is the Arizona State University online program worth it?
Ultimately, the content creator said registering for the program is also useful.
“You can take classes and courses for like $25,” he explained. “And then you only pay, like, the ‘tuition fee’ of $400 if you want it on a transcript.”
So, he recommends the program overall.
Still, he reiterated that even without registering for classes, users get an email address that could be used to get discounts
@ramdanielle UHM YALL I HOPE I DONT GET SUED LOL
♬ original sound – Ram Danielle
Does the hack work?
Not necessarily.
Every website has its own verification method.
For example, according to Spotify’s website, users who want to apply for a student discount must fill out a SheerID verification form. SheerID specializes in verifying whether or not a user is eligible for discounts based on their information.
Students who attend schools that are not listed on SheerID’s verification form are not eligible for Spotify’s student discounts. The Daily Dot was unable to verify whether Arizona State University is on SheerID.
Many brands use SheerID to verify a person’s eligibility for student discounts.
On its website, Apple Music states that it gives student discounts to those “studying an associate degree, bachelor degree, post-graduate degree, or equivalent higher education course at a college or university.”
It also states customers must verify their eligibility via UNiDAYS or SheerID.
Amazon Prime, however, does allow new customers to register for student discounts using a .edu email address.
Viewers respond to the claim
In the comments section, some pointed out that merely registering with a .edu email address may not always work to score student discounts.
“I have a .edu email but I thought they needed you to verify with some ID or something!” user Lulu wrote.
Danielle offered up another hack to still get the discount.
“If they do, you can just register for a class for $25!” he responded to the viewer’s comment. “That’s a pretty good deal for so many discounts haha.”
“Some places want you to submit a transcript or class schedule,” another user pointed out.
The Daily Dot contacted Ram Danielle, Arizona State University, Amazon, Apple, and SheerID via email and Spotify via contact form for comment.
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