2013-10-08



Let’s face it, Adobe’s traditional product prices can seem expensive, especially if you’re on a student’s budget. The regular prices for last year’s Creative Suite 6 release range run from $399 for Dream­weaver through Photoshop Extended for $999 and up to $2,599 upfront for the Master Collection suite, which contains all CS6 applications – nearly twenty in all. As great and powerful as this software is, it could be hard to afford these prices when you’re in school.

Fortunately, Adobe offers deep discounts for education customers – up to 75% off.  So the price for Dreamweaver becomes almost a third of what it was, $149 – while for the Design Standard suite (containing Photoshop + Illustrator + InDesign + Acrobat Pro) it drops by two-thirds, to $449. For most products the price cut is similar – for example, Photoshop CS6 Extended (the most powerful edition) goes from $999 to $349. The bestselling CS6 Design & Web Premium suite becomes $599 instead of $1,899.

In addition, it’s not just the Creative Suite products that are available with the savings. You can also get Lightroom 5, Acrobat XI, and Photoshop or Premiere Elements 12. For example, Lightroom 5 for student photographers costs $79 instead of the normal price of $149, while Acrobat XI Pro is $119 instead of $449.

But if you want it all – and all in one complete (and top-reviewed) package – then Adobe is now offering the new Creative Cloud at a 60-70% discount for students and teachers (at just $19.99 or £15.88 or €19,99 or A$14.99 a month) – and that gives you the entire “Master Suite” and more – essentially, the new CC versions of all the best and latest products that Adobe makes, with ongoing upgrades included at no additional cost.

[ Which option is right for you? See: Adobe CS6 vs. Creative Cloud ]



All of this software is now available via instant download at the Adobe Education Store for both Windows and Mac OS. Adobe’s education discounts are available internationally as well – in other countries and currencies (Europe/euro, UK/pound, Australia/dollar), where the percentage reductions are similar.

To get these much-reduced prices, essentially all you have to do is prove your academic status at a qualified school. Most students and teachers of most grades and institutions can qualify, from elementary through university levels.  Importantly, even part-time students or folks who enroll for a class at their local community college can be eligible – there is no age restriction at all.  If you think about it, sometimes going back to school could even pay for itself in such situations.

You can validate your status with proof of enrollment such as your school ID card, report card, transcript, tuition bill or statement, etc.  Documents dated within the last six months are considered current for these purposes. The verification all happens online so it takes only 1-2 business days. In the meantime, you’ll be able to install your product as a 30-day free trial to get started using it right away.

The student and teacher editions work the same as the regular versions – and you can continue to use the same products after you graduate, or after whenever you leave your current school or term of study. You can also use this software for commercial purposes if you so desire. However there remain some differences between the two with limitations of the education versions that are important to know and understand.

You can install the software on up to two computers, and if for some reason you change your mind after buying, you can easily return the product within 30 days of purchase to Adobe.

A Word on Software Piracy – “If It Sounds Too Good To Be True…”

Some folks think they might be able to do better by trying to find and download Adobe software for free or cheap using torrents, cracks, key makers, keygens, untrusted sources, unfamiliar sellers, old or used versions, no-name websites, and so on.  The first thing to say is any electronic download or serial number delivery from anywhere besides Adobe is inauthentic, so it’s illegal. The second thing is that it’s very risky – but not only because it’s illegal…

Increasingly, the desire to save money on software by getting it from sources or sites you’ve never heard of leads to identity theft, credit card fraud, virus infections, email spamming, and more. A great deal of the hacked and illegitimate Adobe software out there now is embedded with malware. This malware includes viruses, worms, and trojans that can do significant harm to your computer, data, and privacy (like quietly taking your sensitive information such as logins, passwords, and credit card numbers).

For example, the Asia-Pacific region has a very high piracy rate of 60%, and correspondingly the highest rate of infection in the world – nearly 70% of the computers in these countries are riddled with malware. There is a direct correlation.

In other words, the hackers that create and distribute these “free” or “cheap” copies are receiving payback in other ways (e.g., backdoors) – meaning in the end, you can do far worse damage to your computer and yourself than to Adobe. Why install unknown and untrusted software onto your valuable system? Why give a stranger control of your machine, or your financial credentials?

Further, the agencies are really cracking down now on download theft – note in a case out this week, the authorities have obtained the location and contact information on 23,000 illegal BitTorrent users and the fines paid are $3,000 per download!

Lastly, stay away from deals or “bargains” on eBay or Craigslist, or any seller you’ve never heard of (including on Amazon Marketplace), or anything that seems too good to be true – because it probably is… there are authentic-looking fakes everywhere.  Reputation means everything in this area – because you don’t want to end up in regret, like so many there do, after their money has left their hands permanently and the software or their computer has stopped working.

Read more details on why you shouldn’t buy from eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Marketplace.

So all in all, it’s not something for nothing – and really the only sensible and safe choice is getting the real deal straight from Adobe at up to 75% off the regular prices.

Here’s a helpful Student & Teacher Eligibility Guide, as well as a key Adobe Education FAQ that should answer any other questions you may have…

Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

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Comments

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