Who can SheerID verify with student verification?
SheerID's student verification includes users that are enrolled in an educational institution. This includes part-time and full-time students. Depending on the type of student you are seeking to verify, the educational institution may or may not be degree-granting. The default minimum age to be eligible for all programs is 16 years of age.
How are the subsegments defined?
Some segments and subsegments may only be available in specific countries. To view countries in which certain consumer communities are supported, see Supported consumer communities by country.
- Full- and Part-time college students. These are degree-granting schools, and are recognized by the local body in charge of education (this structure/entity varies by country, but is most often the Ministry of Education or equivalent). It is important to note that the threshold for what a country considers a legitimate school varies from country to country, and we have gone to great lengths to take that into account in our list creation.
- Post-secondary/Trade school students. This includes non-degree granting schools, and organizations that may not be recognized by the local body in charge of education, but which do offer classes above the secondary (high school) level. This category can cover vocational schools, trade schools, and technical colleges. These can include, but are not limited to beauty/cosmetology, culinary, health and medical trade, emergency services, criminal justice, computer/IT, CDL training, massage therapy, welding, HVAC/R, automotive technician, and electrical schools. This set of organizations does not include schools that only offer short courses. Including Post-secondary organizations can expand reach, but could also allow in organizations like 'Joe's Mechanic Training School,' if it offered semester/year-long classes.
- High school students. Students are required to be 16 years or older. In compliance with the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), verification forms do not allow persons to enter dates of birth that indicate they are under the age of 16.
- High school students accepted into a college (US Only). More commonly referred to as College Bound, this option for student verification allows you to expand coverage of the US student population to include high school and pre-college students that our data sources indicate have a high likelihood of attending college/university. A College Bound student is not guaranteed to go to college until the school year begins, and they can be verified as an enrolled student of a particular college (degree-granting, higher education institution).
Are there any privacy concerns with validating 16- and 17-year-olds?
Based on a broad regulatory assessment, SheerID determined that collecting information from 16-year-olds and older is consistent with major world privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. We do not collect information from consumers younger than 16 because those regulations have special provisions that require parental consent before those minors can provide personally identifying information (PII). Read more about consumer privacy protection here.
For high school student verification, how will the form make it clear that the offer is only for those who are at least 16 years old?
SheerID forms will throw an error should the consumer not meet the eligibility requirements, but it is the responsibility of the brand to use appropriate messaging to specify who the offer is for before consumers reach the form.
See the highlighted error message below:
For university student programs, can SheerID differentiate between undergraduate students vs. graduate students?
No, we are not able to provide this level of detail. From a document review perspective, student documents also do not typically indicate level of study (undergraduate vs. graduate).
What verification methods are used for student verification?
Authoritative, SSO, Email Loop, and Document Review can be used to verify student status. For details, read about SheerID's verification engine.
What happens if the student verifying can't find their school?
All student verification programs include SheerID's Add School Request (ASR) form by default. For more information about the ASR form and process, see the Add School Request FAQ.
What are the document review requirements to prove student status?
If asked to upload proof of eligibility, consumer documents must be school-issued, and display the consumer's:
- First and last name
- School name - Organization supplied on the form is found somewhere in the document, with identical or very similar spelling
- Date - Specific semester or academic year is found somewhere in the document and is current (meaning within the current academic year; OR cannot be expired, or cannot be dated more than 4 years in the future)
SheerID is not limited to accepting just these document types, but these official documents provided by the university/school typically satisfy all requirements:
- Class schedule
- Tuition receipt
- Transcript
- Registration receipt
- Dated ID card
- Acceptance letter (College Bound Only)
SheerID can accept multiple documents if a single document does not display all the required information. The following list of supporting documents are not acceptable on their own, but can be used to supplement other official documentation:
- F1 or other Student Visas
- Totum card
- Financial aid letter
- Entrance Exam card
Unacceptable documents:
- Undated IDs
- Email screenshots
- Acceptance letter (except for College Bound)
How can College Bound be used?
College Bound can be added to an existing student verification program to expand the target audience (e.g. for back-to-school programs to include incoming freshmen). The College Bound option is offered year-round and refreshed seasonally. Each September it adjusts to include only graduating seniors of the following academic year. For example, a student graduating from high school in June 2025 could be verified as College Bound from September 1, 2024-August 31, 2025.
If a consumer is having trouble verifying their student status, he or she can access SheerID's Verification Help Center for assistance, including a link to contact our consumer support team if they need additional help. If a consumer is having trouble using their discount or redeeming their offer in any way, he or she should contact the retailer directly.