- Who can get YouTube Premium Student
- If you already have YouTube Premium
- How to sign up
- Premium Student or Music Premium Student?
- Renewing your student status each year
- Cancelling
- Getting more from it
- Using a work or school Google account
- Where YouTube offers student plans
- Is YouTube Premium Student worth it?
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
YouTube Premium Student is a lower-rate YouTube Premium membership for students at higher education institutions that SheerID has approved. You can keep it for up to 4 consecutive years, but you have to re-verify every year. You get the same benefits as a standard member, and YouTube's plans page shows a 1-month trial on the Student plan for eligible new members.
There's also a YouTube Music Premium student plan if you only want music. Here's who qualifies, how sign-up works, and the rule that trips people up if they already have YouTube Premium.
Who can get YouTube Premium Student
YouTube's help centre sets out two conditions. You must be enrolled at a higher education institution in a location where student memberships are offered, and that institution must be approved by SheerID, the verification service YouTube uses. SheerID decides which institutions qualify, not YouTube.
To check, YouTube says you go to the Student Plan landing page for YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium and type your school into the SheerID form. If it's on the list, student plans are available to you.
If you already have YouTube Premium
This is the rule that catches people. YouTube says that if you already have a YouTube membership and want to switch to a student one, you must cancel your existing membership first and then sign up for the student plan. YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket don't count here, so you can keep those.
Because cancelling doesn't end your benefits straight away, the cleanest move is to verify as a student first, then cancel, then sign up for the student plan when your current month runs out.
How to sign up
- On a computer or mobile browser, go to youtube.com/premium/student/inapp, or youtube.com/musicpremium/student/inapp for the music-only plan.
- Complete SheerID's verification. If it verifies you straight away, you're sent back to YouTube.
- If not, upload the documents SheerID asks for. YouTube says these are reviewed by hand.
- Wait for SheerID's email. YouTube says it arrives within 20 minutes in the US, and can take up to 48 hours elsewhere.
- Sign back in, tap your profile picture, open the memberships section and finish sign-up from the notification.
- Choose or add a card to complete it.
Premium Student or Music Premium Student?
| YouTube Premium Student | YouTube Music Premium Student | |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-free | YouTube, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids | YouTube Music |
| Downloads and background play | Across YouTube and YouTube Music | YouTube Music |
| Verification | SheerID, every year | SheerID, every year |
| Maximum length | Up to 4 consecutive years | Up to 4 consecutive years |
YouTube says you get the same benefits as the standard versions of each plan, so the only question is whether you want ad-free videos as well as music.
Renewing your student status each year
YouTube says you'll get an email or an in-app notification near the end of each membership year reminding you to re-verify. If you're eligible and less than 30 days away from your student status expiring, you can start the renewal early from your membership settings.
If you stop qualifying, YouTube doesn't cancel you. It says your student membership automatically moves to a standard membership if you remain a member. Graduates should check their account the month they finish, or the standard plan simply carries on.
Cancelling
You can cancel a YouTube membership at any time. YouTube says you'll keep your benefits until the end of your monthly cycle, so there's no reason to wait until the last day.
Getting more from it
Offline downloads are the feature students use most on trains and between lectures. If you're building a music library, my guide to where to download free music covers the legal options, and here's how to view your YouTube watch history on any device if you're sharing screens.
Using a work or school Google account
YouTube's help pages handle student plans differently from other memberships when it comes to Google Workspace accounts. Its trials page says Individual and Family memberships can't be started on a Workspace account unless it's a Workspace Individual edition account, but student memberships work with any Workspace account. So if you're signed in with a university Google account, you can still use the student plan, although many students prefer a personal account so the membership survives graduation.
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Where YouTube offers student plans
Student memberships are only available in certain locations, and YouTube lists them on its student help page. If you study abroad, the location that counts is where you're enrolled and where your account is set up, so check the list before you start SheerID's verification.
Is YouTube Premium Student worth it?
For students who watch YouTube every day, yes. You get the full Premium benefits, the music service, and a trial to test it first. If your school isn't approved by SheerID, it isn't available to you, and there's no way round that.
My verdict
Verify with SheerID before you touch your existing membership, then switch over cleanly. Set a reminder for 11 months' time to re-verify, and another for your graduation month so the standard plan doesn't start without you noticing.
Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for YouTube Premium Student?
YouTube says you must be enrolled at a higher education institution in a location where student memberships are offered, and the institution must be approved by SheerID.
How long can I keep YouTube Premium Student?
YouTube says eligible students can have up to 4 consecutive years of student membership, with re-verification every year.
Is there a free trial of YouTube Premium Student?
YouTube's plans page shows a 1-month trial on the Student plan for eligible new members, with annual verification required.
Can I switch my YouTube Premium to a student plan?
Yes, but YouTube says you must cancel your existing membership first, then sign up for the student plan. YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket aren't affected.
What happens to YouTube Premium Student when I graduate?
YouTube says that if you remain a member but are no longer eligible, your student membership automatically moves to a standard membership.
Can I use YouTube Premium Student with a university Google account?
Yes. YouTube's trials page says student memberships work with any Google Workspace account, unlike Individual and Family plans.
How long does YouTube student verification take?
If you need to upload documents, YouTube says you'll get an email within 20 minutes in the US, and up to 48 hours in other locations.
