# University email benefits for students in Saudi Arabia: what it opens, and where it is not enough

> **The short answer**: A university email is the address your university creates for you on its official domain, and the first of the university email benefits is proof of student status: it opens the GitHub Student Developer Pack and Notion's free education plan. It is not enough on its own at Autodesk, or at YouTube Premium, which verifies through SheerID.
>
> tiswa lists the current student offers in Saudi Arabia for [Notion](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/notion/), [GitHub](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/github-student-pack/) and [YouTube](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/youtube-premium/).

**Key takeaways**

- GitHub and Notion accept the university address directly, with conditions on the account.
- Autodesk states that a school email is not enough to prove eligibility.
- Re-verify yearly at Notion and YouTube, every two years at GitHub.
- Some universities bundle Office and storage with it; at KSU that is 100 GB.

![Your university email: what it gets you as a student in Saudi Arabia](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/university-email-benefits/university-email-benefits-cover-en.webp)

## What is a university email?

It is the address your university creates for you on its own domain, such as student.ksu.edu.sa at King Saud University. It is more than a mailbox: KSU gives it to students free as part of the Microsoft 365 Copilot education package, with Office apps and 100 GB of cloud storage.[^5] Each university has its own domain and services, so read your IT deanship's page.

![Outline of the guide (Your university email)](https://tiswa.app/assets/blog/university-email-benefits/university-email-benefits-inline-1-en.webp)


## How does a university email prove you are a student?

Through the domain. A company sees an address ending in a university domain it knows, assumes you study there, and asks you to confirm you own the mailbox. Notion, for instance, checks the school against the World Higher Education Database (WHED) and upgrades the account automatically when it recognises it.[^2] Companies that want more certainty add a second step: a verification service such as SheerID, or a dated document.

## What are the benefits of a university email in Saudi Arabia?

The table separates what the address alone opens from what needs more:

| Programme | Is the email enough? | The condition students miss |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Student Developer Pack | Yes, once it is verified on your account | Add and verify it before applying; student status lasts two years[^1] |
| Notion Education Plan | Yes, at a school listed in WHED | It must be the primary email; re-verify every year[^2] |
| YouTube Premium student | No, verification is through SheerID | An institution SheerID approves; yearly checks for up to 4 years[^3] |
| Autodesk Education plan | No | A registration or tuition receipt, student ID or transcript within 14 days[^4] |
| Fitness Time University Students Program | No, activation is at a branch | A university card or enrolment letter, participating universities only[^6] |

Autodesk is the plainest case. It says an email address from your institution is neither sufficient nor required to confirm eligibility, and asks for a registration receipt, a tuition receipt, a student ID or a transcript, uploaded within 14 days.[^4] Each free programme is covered in [free software for university students](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/free-software-for-students/), and Notion in detail in [Notion for students](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/notion-for-students/).

## University email vs student card: what is the difference?

The email proves you are a student online; the card proves it to a person. When an offer is activated in a branch, like the Fitness Time University Students Program, you bring your university card or an official enrolment letter, and there is no online activation at all.[^6] Where the card is worth carrying is in [the student card guide](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/student-card/).

A third thing gets mixed up with both: the verification service. SheerID is neither an email nor a card but a go-between the company uses. If YouTube does not verify you straight away, you upload a document, and outside the US the answer can take up to 48 hours.[^3]

## Why is my university email rejected?

- You added it to Notion as a secondary email; Notion only counts the primary one.[^2]
- The same address is on another GitHub account, and GitHub will not take one academic email for two accounts.[^1]
- You paid for Notion first. The education plan requires you to be on the Free Plan.[^2]
- GitHub does not know your university's domain. Contact GitHub Education Support with the school's name, website and domain.[^1]
- Your Autodesk profile name does not match your university record, and it cannot be changed later.[^4]

## What happens to these offers when you graduate?

They end one by one, each at its next verification date. GitHub is the strictest: a student whose programme ends in the current academic session is not eligible to apply.[^1] So final-year students apply early, not in their last term.

- Notion: if you cannot re-verify, the workspace drops to the Free Plan with its content intact.[^2]
- [YouTube Premium Student](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/youtube-premium/): the student price depends on the yearly check, and renewal opens when less than 30 days remain on your student status.[^3]
- Autodesk: access is one year at a time while you stay eligible, renewable from 30 days before expiry. Let it lapse and you start over.[^4]
- Autodesk again: the licence is for learning and research only, so never deliver a paying client's project with it.[^4]

If you freelance or do a paid internship, price that software at the regular rate now, so graduation day holds no surprise. At that stage [the CV guide for students](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/cv-for-students/) will do more for you than any offer.

> **tiswa's take**: Our view at tiswa: use your university address for every study-related sign-up from week one, and make it the primary email wherever that is asked. But do not build a subscription on an address you are about to lose. In your final year, start with services that verify once for longer, like GitHub with its two years, before the ones that check every year. Preparatory-year students have the longest runway, so use it.

## How do I find my university email?

Ask your university's IT or e-transactions deanship. At KSU the mailbox is created automatically once your student number is issued,[^7] and the steps are in [the KSU student email guide](https://tiswa.app/en/blog/ksu-student-discounts/).

Student offers you verify for once, from subscriptions to devices, are collected under [study tools](https://tiswa.app/en/deals/study/). [Join tiswa](https://tiswa.app/en/join/)

## Questions

### What is a university email?

The address your university creates for you on its official domain, such as student.ksu.edu.sa, used for academic mail and to prove you are a student.

### Which note taking app is free with a student email?

Notion, at schools listed in the WHED database. Make the university address your primary email, choose Get free education plan in Settings, and re-verify every year.

### Is a university email enough for YouTube Premium student?

No. YouTube verifies through SheerID that you attend an approved institution and re-checks every year, for up to 4 years.

### How long does GitHub student verification last?

Two years, then you revalidate. The university address must be added and verified on your GitHub account before you apply.

### How do I set up my university email?

Through your university's IT deanship. At KSU the mailbox is created automatically once your student number is issued, and the student email page has guides for Outlook, iOS and Android.

### Does Saudi Arabia have student discounts with a university email?

Yes. Global programmes such as GitHub and Notion accept Saudi university addresses they recognise, and tiswa collects student offers in Saudi Arabia in one app.


## Sources

[^1]: GitHub Docs: Apply to GitHub Education as a student, https://docs.github.com/en/education/about-github-education/github-education-for-students/apply-to-github-education-as-a-student
[^2]: Notion Help Center: Get the Education Plan for students and teachers, https://www.notion.com/help/notion-for-education
[^3]: YouTube Help: Get a student discount for YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium, https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9158808
[^4]: Autodesk Education: get started for students and educators, https://www.autodesk.com/support/account/education/students-educators/get-started
[^5]: King Saud University, Deanship of E-Transactions and Communication: student email, https://etc.ksu.edu.sa/en/node/2952
[^6]: Fitness Time: University Students Program, https://www.fitnesstime.com.sa/en/powerup-student-membership
[^7]: King Saud University, Deanship of E-Transactions and Communication: frequently asked questions, https://etc.ksu.edu.sa/en/node/3472