LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free basic account. For college students, LinkedIn does offer a way to access Premium for free for up to 12 months through their LinkedIn Student program. In this article, we’ll cover who is eligible, what features you get with LinkedIn Premium, how to sign up for the Student offer, and some tips for maximizing LinkedIn as a college student.
Who is eligible for LinkedIn Student?
To be eligible for the LinkedIn Student offer of free Premium access, you must:
- Be a current student at an accredited university or college
- Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program (or equivalent)
- Have a valid student email address issued by your educational institution
You’ll need to verify your student status when signing up. LinkedIn checks with your school to confirm you are currently enrolled. Some key things to note:
- The offer is only for 1 year of Premium access, after which you will revert to a free Basic account unless you start paying
- You can only redeem the offer once; it’s not renewable every year
- It is only for individual Premium access, not the Sales Navigator product or other paid plans LinkedIn offers
As long as you are actively attending a college or university, you should be eligible to take advantage of this student offer from LinkedIn.
What features do you get with LinkedIn Premium?
Compared to the free Basic account, LinkedIn Premium unlocks several additional capabilities:
Profile-Related
- Profile highlight: Pinned post to showcase on your profile
- Expanded profile views: See full profiles of viewers beyond just their name and headline
- Company follow: Follow companies to get notifications when employees join them
Messaging
- InMail: Directly message anyone on LinkedIn, even if you’re not connected
- Search filters: Find peers and contacts by industry, company, job function
Insights & News
- Premium profile badges: Badges identify industry experts, thought leaders, etc.
- Newsletters: Read exclusive news digests curated by LinkedIn
- Extended LinkedIn Learning: Thousands of expert-led courses included
Jobs & Skills
- Open candidate status: Signal you are open and interested in new opportunities
- Skill assessments: Validate your skills and get a badge for passing assessments
- Salary insights: See estimated salary ranges for positions
These additional capabilities can help college students expand their network, connect with professionals in their desired industry, demonstrate their skills, stay updated on news and trends, and search for jobs.
How do college students sign up for free Premium?
Signing up for LinkedIn Premium through the Student offer is straightforward. Just follow these steps:
- Go to the LinkedIn Student offer page at https://www.linkedin.com/premium/students
- Click the “Get LinkedIn Premium Free – 1 Year” button
- Log into your LinkedIn account with your student email address
- Enter your expected graduation date
- Verify your student status by confirming your enrollment
- Agree to the LinkedIn Premium Student Terms of Service
Once verified, you should have free access to LinkedIn Premium for 1 year. You can revert to a Basic account at any time in your account settings.
Tips for using LinkedIn as a college student
Here are some tips to make the most of LinkedIn and its Premium features as a college student:
Build out your profile fully
Use Premium profile sections like certifications, courses, projects, and awards to showcase all your skills, experiences, and accomplishments.
Follow relevant companies
Stay up-to-date on new hires and news at companies you want to work for in the future.
Search for alumni
Connect with alumni from your university working at companies you are interested in. They can provide career advice and industry insights.
Join relevant groups
Engage in Groups related to your major, interests, or professional associations to connect with more professionals in your desired field.
Take a LinkedIn Learning course
Expand your hard and soft skills through LinkedIn Learning video courses included with Premium. Add completed courses to your profile.
Research companies before interviewing
Use Premium Company Pages and employee profiles to gain helpful insights before interviews.
Turn on Open Candidacy
Signal your interest in new opportunities while discovering relevant job listings and internships.
Conclusion
The LinkedIn Student offer provides eligible college students with a valuable way to access Premium features for networking, showcasing skills, researching companies, finding jobs and learning on-demand – all at no cost. With over 675+ million users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and leveraging it effectively while in college can set students up for success after graduation.
Taking advantage of the 12 months of free Premium access, tailoring your profile, and actively engaging on the platform are some of the best ways students can use LinkedIn to bolster their professional brand and career opportunities during and after college.