Optimum takes $5 a month off its internet plans for teachers, professors and school staff, as long as you can verify a .edu email address. The discount runs all year with no back-to-school deadline. If your school email doesn’t end in .edu, read the Q&A below before you start.
The discount is part of a program Optimum calls Optimum Priority, and it’s the same $5 students get. Your plan has to be 300 Mbps or faster.
How To Get The Optimum Teacher Discount
Here’s how to claim it on Optimum’s Students & Educators page:
- Pick a plan at 300 Mbps or above and select Check availability.
- Enter and verify your .edu email at checkout.
- After you buy, verify the email again to activate the $5 discount.
- Watch for a confirmation email. The discount shows up on your bill within 1-2 billing cycles, so the first bill may look the same.
The $5 stays on your account until you no longer meet the requirements. Optimum says additional eligibility checks may apply and that you can qualify with email or ID verification, but it doesn’t say what the ID check involves. Check the total at checkout before you pay.
What It Does To The Price
Optimum’s 300 Mbps internet starts at $30 a month with its $10 Auto Pay and Paperless Bill discount, plus taxes and fees. That $10 comes with conditions: you pay by checking account, not a credit card, and you have to keep both Auto Pay and paperless billing. The plan price is also for new residential customers.
Optimum says the $5 teacher discount stacks with its current offers, so it’s added on top of plan promotions. The fine print on the plan prices says those offers may not be combined with other offers, so ask Optimum to confirm your final monthly price when you check availability.
Cash Back On Top
Rakuten, $25. It pays once, on your first payment, and only for new customers who stay connected for the first 90 days. It doesn’t cover business services, mobile plans and devices, or upgrades for current customers.
Fluz, 1.5%. You earn it when you pay with a Fluz virtual card.
Rates change, so check the number on the page you click through from before you order.
Q&A
Do teachers get a discount from Optimum?
Yes, $5 a month, if you can verify a .edu email. Optimum says teachers, professors and school staff with a .edu email qualify, the same as students.
What if my school email doesn’t end in .edu?
Optimum only talks about .edu emails, so your district email may not work. The terms mention ID verification as another way to qualify but don’t say what it involves, so ask Optimum when you check availability, before you plan around the $5.
How do I verify?
Enter your .edu email at checkout and verify it, then verify it again after you purchase to activate the discount.
How soon does it show up on my bill?
Within 1-2 billing cycles after your email is verified.
Can I combine it with other offers?
Optimum says you can stack it with its current offers. The plan price terms say they can’t be combined with other offers, so confirm your final price before you commit.
Is there a deadline?
No. It’s available all year, with no back-to-school deadline.
Does it work on any plan?
Any eligible internet plan at 300 Mbps and above.
More Information:
For more ways to save on phone and internet, browse our tech discounts for teachers and the posts in cash back for teachers.