The Best Student Hosting: Who’s The Best For Your Site? [Updated: 2021]
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What is Student hosting?
While details vary from one hosting provider to the next, a student hosting account is usually an entry-level hosting account on a shared Linux server offered at a reduced price to students who can verify that they are currently enrolled in an educational program. In most cases, students can continue to use the account after completing their studies, and rates typically increase the first time the account is renewed. In some cases, student hosting accounts include limitations on disk space, bandwidth, and other features, as well as limits on the types of projects and websites that may be hosted on the account.
Student Hosting Overview
Web design and development students are in a unique position. They need to work with the latest cutting-edge tools and networking infrastructure, yet they bring limited resources to the table and are typically working on non-commercial projects. Thankfully, several hosting providers offer hosting plans designed to meet the needs of students at a reasonable cost.
How Do I Get a Student Account?
In most cases, hosting providers require that new customers use an email address ending in .edu when signing up to verify that they are associated with an educational institution. After signup, students are typically required to submit some sort of verification, such as a valid student ID, to demonstrate that they are currently enrolled in an educational program.
Since not all educational programs are part of accredited colleges or universities, and since not all accredited colleges and universities provide their students with .edu email addresses, many hosts who offer student hosting will provide the reduced rate to students without a .edu email address who contact customer support and provide some other form of verification. Some hosting providers even provide specific instructions for current student who do not have a .edu email address.
Many web hosts who offer student hosting also offer educational discounts to educators and directly to educational institutions who may go ahead and purchase or subsidize hosting accounts for their students. Students who are instructed to sign up for student hosting as part of a course should contact their course professor or a representative of the educational program to ensure they receive credit for all of the discounts for which they are eligible.
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