What a Wall Street Journal student subscription includes and who can buy one
The Wall Street Journal offers a discounted subscription rate for students enrolled full-time at accredited colleges and universities. The student plan gives you access to the same news content as a standard subscription — articles on markets, business, politics, and world news — but at a lower price than the regular digital or print-plus-digital options.
To buy a student subscription, you must be currently enrolled as a full-time student. The Journal verifies enrollment through SheerID, a third-party service that checks your school's records. You do not need to provide physical proof of enrollment; you log in with your school email address or student ID number, and SheerID confirms your status electronically.
The subscription covers digital access on all devices — phone, tablet, and computer — plus the ability to read articles offline. If you choose the print-plus-digital plan, you also receive the print edition delivered to a U.S. address. Student pricing is available only for new subscriptions; existing subscribers cannot switch to the student rate mid-subscription.
Key Takeaways
- Student subscriptions require full-time enrollment verification through SheerID using your school email or student ID.
- The digital-only student plan costs less than half the regular digital subscription rate, though exact pricing varies by promotion.
- Print-plus-digital student plans are available but cost more than digital-only; both include full access to all Journal content.
- Your subscription ends when you graduate or leave school, and you will need to switch to a regular subscription to continue reading.
- The Journal frequently runs promotional pricing for students, so the rate you see may be lower during certain times of the year.
How to sign up for a student subscription
Start at wsj.com/student or search for "Wall Street Journal student subscription." You will land on a page that displays the current student pricing and plan options. Click the button to begin the signup process.
You will be asked to enter your email address and create a password. Use your school email address (the one ending in .edu or your school's domain) because SheerID uses it to verify enrollment. If you do not have access to your school email, you can use a personal email address and verify enrollment with your student ID number instead, though this takes longer.
After you create your account, SheerID will prompt you to confirm your enrollment. Select your school from the dropdown list, then enter your student ID or allow SheerID to check your email domain. The verification usually completes in seconds. Once confirmed, you will be taken back to the Journal to complete payment.
Enter your payment method — credit card, debit card, or PayPal — and confirm your billing address. Your subscription becomes active when ready, and you can start reading right away. The Journal will send a confirmation email with your login details and instructions for downloading the mobile app.
Student pricing and what you actually pay
The Wall Street Journal does not publish a fixed student rate on its website; instead, pricing changes based on current promotions. During most of the year, the digital-only student subscription costs significantly less than the regular digital rate — typically in the range of $4 to $8 per month when you commit to an annual plan, though this varies. Print-plus-digital student plans cost more, usually $15 to $25 per month depending on the promotion running at the time you sign up.
The price you see when you visit wsj.com/student is the price you will pay. There are no hidden fees added at checkout. Your first billing date is the day you complete signup, and you will be charged the full amount of your plan — either monthly or annually, depending on which option you chose.
Promotional pricing is common for student subscriptions. The Journal may offer a discounted rate for the first few months, then increase to a higher rate after that period ends. Read the terms shown during checkout to see whether your price will change and when. You can cancel anytime before your next billing date to avoid being charged again.
Verifying your student status and what happens if verification fails
SheerID verifies your enrollment by checking your school's student database. The verification is when ready in most cases. If your school is not in SheerID's system or if there is a delay in your enrollment showing up in the database, you may see a message that verification could not be completed.
If when ready verification fails, SheerID offers alternative methods. You can upload a photo of your student ID card, a tuition bill, or a class schedule showing your name and the current term. Upload a clear image of the document and SheerID will review it manually, usually within 24 hours. Once approved, your student subscription becomes active.
If you are no longer enrolled — for example, you have graduated or taken a leave of absence — you will not pass verification. In that case, you can still subscribe to the Journal, but you will be offered the regular subscription rate instead of the student rate. There is no penalty for failed verification; you straightforward proceed with a standard subscription if you want to continue.
Accessing your subscription on different devices
After you sign up, log in to wsj.com with your email and password to read articles on your computer or tablet browser. You can read an unlimited number of articles each month; there is no meter or limit on digital access.
To read on your phone, read the Wall Street Journal app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Open the app and log in with the same email and password you used to sign up. Your subscription is automatically recognized, and you will have full access to all content.
You can save articles to read later by tapping the bookmark icon in the app or on the website. You can also read articles to read offline — useful if you are on a plane or in an area without internet. The offline feature is available in the mobile app; downloaded articles remain available for a limited time.
What happens to your subscription after graduation
Your student subscription is tied to your enrollment status. When you graduate or leave school, your enrollment record will change in your school's database. The next time the Journal checks your status — usually at your next billing date — verification will fail because you are no longer enrolled.
When this happens, the Journal will notify you that your student subscription has ended. You will be offered the option to convert to a regular subscription at the standard rate. If you do not convert, your access will stop and you will not be charged further.
If you want to keep reading the Journal after graduation, you can sign up for a regular subscription at any time. Regular subscriptions cost more than student plans, but they do not require enrollment verification and do not expire when you leave school.
Canceling your subscription
You can cancel your student subscription anytime through your account settings on wsj.com. Log in, go to your account page, and look for the subscription or billing section. You will see an option to manage or cancel your subscription.
Click the cancel button and the Journal will ask you to confirm. You will not be charged for the next billing period. If you have already been charged for the upcoming month or year, you can request a refund for the unused portion, though refund policies vary depending on how long you have had the subscription.
If you cancel during a promotional period — for example, if you paid a discounted rate for the first three months — make sure you cancel before the promotional period ends. Otherwise, you will be automatically charged the full rate for the next billing cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my parents' subscription instead of buying my own?
The Journal allows one account to be used on multiple devices, so technically you could log in with a parent's credentials on your phone or computer. However, this violates the Journal's terms of service, which state that subscriptions are for personal use only. If the Journal detects account sharing, it may suspend access. A student subscription is inexpensive enough that buying your own is the safer option.
What if my school email address is not working or I do not have one?
You can use a personal email address to sign up and verify enrollment with your student ID number instead. SheerID will ask you to upload a photo of your ID card or a tuition bill to confirm you are enrolled. This manual verification takes about 24 hours but works just as well as email verification.
Does the student subscription include the Wall Street Journal print newspaper?
The digital-only student plan does not include print. If you want the print edition delivered to your home, you must choose the print-plus-digital student plan, which costs more. Print delivery is available only to U.S. addresses and adds several dollars to your monthly cost.
Can I pause my subscription instead of canceling it?
The Journal does not offer a pause feature for student subscriptions. You can cancel and restart your subscription later, but you will need to re-verify your enrollment status when you restart. If you are taking a semester off or studying abroad, canceling and restarting when you return is the standard approach.
What is the difference between the student subscription and a regular subscription?
The content is identical — both include access to all Wall Street Journal articles, videos, and podcasts. The only differences are price and the requirement to verify enrollment for the student plan. Student subscriptions are cheaper but end when you graduate. Regular subscriptions cost more but have no enrollment requirement and do not expire.