In case you weren’t already swimming in streaming service subscriptions, Hulu is offering a discounted $2 monthly plan for students. However, note that if you’re long past college and happen to have an .edu email address, that won’t be enough to qualify as a “student”—Hulu is verifying that you’re actually attending school.
The new student plan
The ad-supported plan offers two simultaneous streams that allow you to watch on-demand content, which includes original programming like The Handmaid’s Tale and Palm Springs, as well as content from ABC, NBC, Fox, Bravo, USA Network, FXX, and other channels. That’s $4 cheaper per month than you’d normally get with the plan. The offer—which currently has no end date—will undoubtedly attract more on-demand users who can later be upsold to the more expensive live TV service plan.
If you’re a current subscriber while also enrolled in a U.S. Title IV accredited college or university, you’re eligible to switch to the student plan—for that, log into your Hulu account, then go here and click “GET OFFER” to apply student discount pricing to your existing ad-supported Hulu subscription.
The plan includes Hulu’s new Watch Party feature, which allows subscribers to watch and chat about content in groups of up to eight people. For more on how that works and how to set it up, check out this Lifehacker post.
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You can’t fake being a student
It’s an open secret that people use their .edu email account to qualify for student discounts years after graduating from college, but Hulu is actually verifying your status. In partnership with the party-pooping verification service SheerID, you’ll have to provide the name of your college or university. Per Hulu:
Offer valid for new and existing Hulu-billed subscribers enrolled at a U.S. Title IV accredited college or university who meet verification qualifications. Verification performed through SheerID; enrollment information (e.g. first name, last name, college/university name, date of birth) must be shared with SheerID for verification purposes. Automatic re-verification performed annually.
If the last time you went to college was during the Obama administration, it looks like you’re out of luck.
