What Exactly Are These Edu Domains
The majority of the .edu domains are associated with an American post-secondary educational institution, as in a college or university. These universities also have to meet a strict set of criterias to get their .edu domain.
For organizations based in USA
The registration of .edu domains for institutions based in USA is looked upon by a non-profit organization called EduCause. This organization has laid down a strict set of eligibility criteria that must be met with.
Heres what Educause has to say about eligibility for .edu domain:
Eligibility for a .edu domain name is limited to U.S. postsecondary institutions that are institutionally accredited, i.e., the entire institution and not just particular programs, by agencies on the U.S. Department of Educations list of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies. These include both Regional Institutional Accrediting Agencies and National Institutional and Specialized Accrediting Bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Note that institutional accreditation is required for .edu eligibility program accreditation is not sufficient. Not all agencies accredit institutions. Some accredit only institutions, some accredit only programs, and others accredit both institutions and programs.
You can go through their complete set of eligibility FAQ Here.
So, its pretty straightforward for institutions based in USA to get a .edu domain, provided you meet with all of their eligibility criteria.
Choose A Domain Name Suffix Such As Com Or Net
After settling on the domain name, consider the suffix. The most popular suffix is .com, although .net and .org are also popular. These are considered to be top-level domains, or the highest-level domain suffixes in the domain naming system.
There are also other varieties to consider, such as country code top-level domains. These domain names end in a suffix that is particular to a specific country. A website in Germany might end in .de, for example.
Finally, there is another class of domain name suffixes called sponsored, top-level domains, which are sponsored by a specific community related to the domain name. For example, .gov is for the U.S. government and .edu is for education organizations.
For most websites, .com is the best suffix for its ease of use, but if you have a specialized website, you might consider a country code or sponsored top-level domain.
Make A Donation To The School
If your budget allows it, you can make a donation to any school that has a .edu domain and potentially get a high page authority backlink to your site. Similar to the last tip, the school will most likely talk about it in a press release and create a number of internal links on the website to the page with your backlink to increase the PageRank authority it passes to your site.
This method is very effective to get backlinks from local elementary, middle, and high schools that have .edu domain extensions in addition to colleges and universities. Plus, it works for both private and public institutions.
WordPress Hosting Blog » Domain » Where To Register a .edu Domain Name
So, by now you must have come across one of those fancy .edu domains on the internet. You would want them for your educational institution or organization. Definitely that domain is not intended for individual purposes. You might have come across a few like Stanford.edu, Harvard.edu, Yale.edu, etc., but whats common amongst them all is that they are US-based institutions, well come to that later.
Theres a lot of speculation going around in the SEO world that these .edu domain names receive a lot of love from Google. You could go around a few SEO forums and see that a lot has been talked about getting backlinks from .edu domains for SEO improvement.
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Current Holders Of Edu Domain Names Faqs
My organization already holds a .edu domain name. Can I change it to something else?
Yes. All current holders of .edu domain names will be allowed to change their name to a different name that is available at the time of the request. Names issued must meet the conditions of Amendment 6 of the .edu Cooperative Agreement between EDUCAUSE and the Department of Commerce. In particular, they must reasonably represent the name of the registrant, may not be deployed to identify any organization other than the registrant, and may not be generic names.
If you are changing the domain name due to a change in the registrant name, the EDUCAUSE Whois Lookup database must first be updated to reflect the new organization name. Log in to your domain and submit a support ticket to request this change.
EDUCAUSE must approve this type of request and might ask for documentation showing that the organization has changed or will change its name officially. Please check the EDUCAUSE Whois Lookup database regularly to verify that this change has been processed. Once the Whois Lookup database has been updated, you may submit a domain name change request.
When I change or release a name, can I transfer the old name to another institution?
No. You do not own the name and therefore may not give, sell, or in any other way transfer it to another institution or organization. When you release a name, it becomes available for any eligible registrant to select on a first-come, first-served basis.
Interested In Obtaining A New Edu Domain Name
Note: The .edu Cooperative Agreement with the US Department of Commerce, under which EDUCAUSE administers the .edu domain, allows EDUCAUSE to register as many as two .edu domain names for a registrant that meets the current eligibility requirements. In addition, registrants that secured .edu domain names prior to the Cooperative Agreement taking effect on October 29, 2001, were allowed to retain those registrations under the “grandfathering” provisions of the Agreement, regardless of the limitations posed by the current eligibility requirements. Thus, some grandfathered registrants may hold more than two .edu domain names under the existing terms of the .edu Cooperative Agreement.
Review the application steps below:
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The Benefits Of Owning A Domain Name
Although there are free alternatives out there, owning your own domain name has many benefits for your business, including:
- Professionalism Having a consistent domain name across your website and email addresses makes your business more professional
- Trust 7 out of 10 people trust businesses with a professional .UK over free alternatives*
- Branding Having your own domain allows you to be consistent throughout your branding
- Its your part of the internet Owning your own domain means youll only have your business name in your website address, keeping it free from other website builder names or branding
Who Can Register A Domain Name
Anyone… but some extensions have registration rules or restrictions. For example, you can only register a .ltd.uk if you are a limited company and the domain is an exact match to your company name. Most extensions like .com, .co.uk and many more, are open for everyone to register. If you’re uncertain about the rules, you can check the information icon next to each extension in our search results.
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What Is The Best Option To Get A Free Domain For My Business Website
While companies, such as Freenom and Dot TK, offer free domains, they are not secure nor do they look professional. For a free business website, your best bet is to sign up with a hosting provider or website builder that offers a free domain to new users. Keep in mind that the free domain is usually just for the first year or the length of the initial contract.
Find A Domain Name Registrar
The non-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers oversees the entire system of domain names, and it allows outside companies, called domain registrars, to sell and manage domain names. You will need to register your domain name through a registrar.
Some of the most popular domain registrars include GoDaddy, Bluehost, and Domain.com, although there are many more to choose from. Be sure to carefully consider pricing and policies for each one before choosing your domain registrar, as it will be managing your domain name.
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Eligibility For The Edu Domain Faqs
What are the eligibility requirements for obtaining a name in the .edu domain?
Eligibility for a .edu domain name is limited to U.S. postsecondary institutions that are institutionally accredited, i.e., the accreditation awarded applies to the entire institution and not just particular programs, by agencies on the U.S. Department of Educations list of Institutional Accrediting Agencies.
Note that institutional accreditation is required for .edu eligibility program accreditation is not sufficient. Not all agencies accredit institutions. Some accredit only institutions, some accredit only programs, and others accredit both institutions and programs. Please make sure that the institution for which you are trying to register a .edu domain name holds institutional accreditation from a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accreditor before submitting an application. The U.S. Department of Educations lists of Institutional Accrediting Agencies and State Agencies are the only official, comprehensive lists of accrediting agencies recognized by the Department of Education.
Are K-12 schools eligible for names in the .edu domain?
No, only appropriately accredited postsecondary institutions are eligible.
Why do some organizations have .edu domain names even though they do not meet the eligibility requirements?
But ICANN doesnt provide registration services, it only maintains records. Thats where domain name registrars come into play.
What To Expect After Registering Your New Domain
Once you register your domain name with either a free plan, hosting service or website builder, it typically takes 24 to 72 hours to become active. This is the length of time the DNS takes to replicate the name worldwide. After 48 hours your domain will be included in the Whois database, which is a public record of all domain registrations. The database allows anyone to search the IP owner information of every registered website on the internet. It also gives new website owners the ability to find out if their idea of a domain name is available for registration and, if not, when the current registration for that name expires.
Generally, you cannot transfer a domain name during the first 60 days after registration. This is the length of time the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers requires domain providers to lock most domains after registration. Freenom is the worlds only free domain provider.
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What Does Edu Actually Mean
Before we get into the ways you can have an .edu email address, we should look into the meaning behind this domain extension. Now, .edu is a domain extension that is clearly restricted to educational institutions. This domain extension is usually used by the US-based educational invitations, but it is also used in Europe, however, to a smaller extent. Nevertheless, people who are able to obtain the .edu email address are, of course, students and college/university staff .
The .edu domain extension was first implemented in 1985 by six universities, UCLA being one of them. Ever since the first implementation, the rule of .edu only being used by educational institutions has lost its initial power. Nowadays, different institutions and individuals use the .edu email address. That is why there are so many .edu domain restrictions in the US, especially when it comes to community colleges. To gain access to the .edu domain, one needs to be eligible for application, regardless of whether it is an individual or even an institution. Each eligible institution or individual get only has one registered .edu domain.
How Do I Buy A Domain Name
Its easy to get a new domain. Here are the steps:1. Decide on a domain name extension. The extension is the part at the end of the domain name .net, .biz, .org or .com, for example.2. Think about what youd like on the other side of the dot. It could be your business name or your specialty.3. Type the domain you want into the box at the top of this page. Well tell you if that particular domain is available and show other you may like better.4. Pick a domain, add it to your cart and check out. You are now the proud owner of your very own domain. As long as its registered to you, no one else may use it.
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History Of Edu Domain Registration
There is some history you need to know about EDU domain registration. The EDU domain was originally meant to be available for anyone who had the means to educate all over the world. However, most of the domains that took EDU resided in the United States anyway. Until 2001, The United States Department of Commerce was in charge of giving out all EDU domains. However, Educause has been the registrar for all EDU domains since 2001. Now, EDU domain registration is charged with a yearly administration fee and it can only be obtained by universities and college systems in the United States.
Sites that were already eligible for EDU domain registration before 2001 are now considered grandfather domains. Such sites do not have to follow the current rules for EDU domain registration, but still have to pay the yearly fees.
What Is A Edu Email Address
A .edu email address is an email address provided by universal, college, and school for their students and staff. When you get admitted into a USA university or college, they give you a .edu email address for free. The United States mostly provides Edu Email.
Edu emails are the email used by colleges and university administrations to notify their students. These emails are used as official means for communication between the college student, staff, and administration.
Most US-based institutes or Universities provide free .edu email to the admitted student.
If you are one, then you will get a .edu email automatically for free. But its quite difficult for a student of non-US based university to get one, particularly If you are from a country outside the United States.
The emails have a format in this way, . For Instance
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What Are The Best Domain Name Registrars
There are a number of great ways to register a domain, including web hosting providers, such as DreamHost or GoDaddy and all-in-one website builders, such as Squarespace or Wix. However, if youre looking to solely register a new domain, the best domain name registrars include Namecheap, Domain.com and Google Domains. Learn more about the best domain name registrars.
How Do I Purchase A Domain Name
To find a domain name or obtain a website address is a very simple process nowadays but there are a few important points you need to bear in mind in your search for domains.
The first point is to remember that you arent actually buying a domain name no-one can buy Internet domains outright as registration is just a license you get from the registry to use the web name a little like renting a house as opposed to purchasing one.
Getting your own website address can be done entirely online and is a fairly rapid exercise but you should check your eligibility before searching and commencing the registration process. While domains ending in .com, .net, .org, .info and .biz have very few requirements youll find that to register a .au domain name does have quite stringent eligibility criteria as set down by the .au registry so check the guidelines first before your purchase. These guidelines are a very good thing they help maintain the integrity of the .au space which benefits all.
After ensuring youre eligible to register a website name, then its just a matter of running a domain name search at a registrar to find out if the name you would like to get is available to acquire. A search feature is also available at the bottom of this page.
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Who Can Get Edu Domain Name
Registering .edu domain name does not establish ownership of the domain name, but allows using it for a certain period of time. How to get an edu domain name? Your right to obtain an .edu domain is unrelated to other domains you may have or acquire in any other top-level domain, such as .us, .com, or .org. EDUCAUSE can register no more than one .edu domain name for each institution, and you are limited to only one .edu domain name. You can apply for the .edu domain name by following the instructions on the corresponding page.
There is a number of prerequisites that you must meet to register or renew your .edu domain name. Educational institutions, academic institutions, or non-profit organizations can register .edu domain name. A complete list of criteria and a detailed description with examples can be found here. We will discuss only the main eligibility criteria.
One of the main requirements is the domain name itself. In addition to rare occasions of transfer of rights or inheritance, your domain name should represent the name of the applicant organization. Generic domain names are not allowed.
Nonprofit organizations have the right to register one .edu domain if the vast majority of their members are colleges, universities, and other relevant educational organizations. The main criteria are that at least 75% of the nonprofit members qualify for .edu domain. Nonprofits whose members are mostly individuals, cannot apply for .edu domain name.