Getting started as a student or educator

Here are the steps for students and educators to get started with the Autodesk Education plan to access software for their individual use. For help setting up classes or labs, see Set up a class as an educator.

If you are new to Autodesk, you need to create an Autodesk account to use products under the Education plan. Make sure you are eligible for educational access (see below).

Autodesk uses a single sign-on (SSO) system. That means you can use the same email and password to sign in to many Autodesk websites. If you have signed in to Registration and Activation, Education Community, Autodesk Drive, Autodesk Discussion Groups, or certain other Autodesk websites, you already have an Autodesk account.

If you already have an Autodesk account, simply sign in to your account on the Get Products page (US site) and skip to Confirm eligibility for students and educators below.

To create an education account:

1. On the Get Products page (US site) on the Autodesk Education Community (US site), click Get Started.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter basic information about your school and yourself. When prompted to select your education role, choose one of the following:
   • Choose Student to use the software on your personal device.
   • Choose Educator if you plan to use this software with students.
3. Once your account information is submitted, you'll receive an email to verify your email address. Click the link in the email to activate your account.

If you don't receive the account confirmation email:

1. Wait at least 10 minutes.
2. Check your spam or junk email folders.
3. Make sure that your email server allows receipt of emails from the following addresses or trusted domains:
   • noreply@autodesk.com (for Autodesk Account confirmation emails)
   • studentcommunity@autodesk.com (if additional information is needed to confirm eligibility)
   • no-reply@autodeskcommunications.com (for student invitations from educators)
4. If you still haven't received the email, try to sign in (US site) again.
5. Resend the activation email when prompted.
6. If this still doesn't work, you may have made a typo when entering your email address. Try creating your account again, and confirm your email address entry at sign in.

If you forget your password:

1. To reset your password, click Forgot? on the sign in page.
2. Enter the email address used to create your account.

To access software and services under the Education plan, you must confirm your eligibility. As part of this process, you may be asked to provide documentation of enrollment or employment at a qualified educational institution.

Note: An email address from your educational institution is not sufficient or required to confirm eligibility.

Important: You will not be able to access software under the Education plan until your eligibility is confirmed. Be sure to start the process of confirming your eligibility early enough to make sure you have access when class starts.

• If your school is not already listed as a qualified educational institution, it may take seven days or more to validate it.
• If you have to upload documentation, it may take a couple of days to confirm your eligibility.

If you have an urgent need to use Autodesk software while your eligibility is still being confirmed, you can download a free 30-day trial  (US site).

To confirm eligibility:

1. Visit the Get Products page (US site) on the Autodesk Education Community (US site).
2. Click Sign In. Enter your email address and password.
3. Choose your school from the drop-down list. If your school is not on the list, click Can't find your school? and complete the form. It may take seven days or more to be validated. For homeschooling, type Home in the field and select Home School (Any) from the drop-down list.
4. Double-check all information.
   Important: Make sure that your profile information is correct and that it matches the information held by your school because you can't change it later. Be sure you've selected the right segment for your institution:
   • Secondary includes K-12 schools.
   • Postsecondary includes universities and colleges, as well as trade and vocational schools. If you select the wrong segment, you won't be able to select your school from the list. If you've selected the wrong segment, contact Autodesk Education Support (US site).
5. Click Verify.

You may be asked to submit additional documentation for proof of eligibility. This documentation must include:

• Full name (must match the name as shown in school registration)
• Full name of the educational institution
• A date within the current school term

Here are some examples of appropriate documentation, assuming they include the information above:

• Official letter from the educational institution
  Note: Here are templates of such a letter for students and faculty.
• Registration receipt
• Tuition receipt
• Student or employee ID (photo not required)
• Transcript
• Faculty listing on school website

You have up to 14 days to upload a suitable document. Once you have uploaded your documentation, it may take a couple of days for your eligibility to be confirmed by SheerID.

To help maintain our commitment to providing free professional software for legitimate use in education, Autodesk has engaged SheerID, a third-party verification services provider, to verify eligibility to access Education licenses or subscriptions. All customers seeking free access to Autodesk professional products and services through the Education Community (US site) are required to provide proof of enrollment, employment, or contractor status at a qualified educational institution.

If you have questions about confirming eligibility that are not addressed here, contact SheerID at customerservice@sheerID.com.

After your eligibility is confirmed, you will receive one year of free* Educational access to Autodesk software and services available on the Education Community (US site). Access is renewable annually as long as you are eligible. Look for a confirmation email welcoming you to the Education Community. This email includes links to the Get Products page (US site), support resources, and the Education Community (US site) page.