Student Verification Policy

1. Eligibility

The Student Research plan is intended for eligible students who are currently enrolled in a recognized educational institution and use SierraTec Survey primarily for legitimate educational, academic, thesis, dissertation, research, coursework, or student-project purposes.

2. Information Used for Verification

• Full name and account information.
• Academic email address.
• Educational institution.
• Program or field of study where relevant.
• Student status and expected graduation date.
• Reasonable proof of current enrollment.

3. Acceptable Evidence

• Current student identification card.
• Enrollment or registration letter.
• Current class schedule.
• Tuition or enrollment statement with unrelated financial information redacted.
• Official institution portal record or screenshot.
• Other reasonably reliable evidence of current enrollment.

4. Academic Email Verification

An institutional email address may be used as part of verification but does not automatically guarantee eligibility. SierraTec may request additional evidence when a domain cannot be verified or remains active after graduation.

5. International Students

International students may apply where the Student Research plan is available. SierraTec may consider local accreditation, authorization, or other evidence that an institution legitimately operates in its jurisdiction. Academic calendars and document formats may vary by country.

6. Non-English Documents

Verification documents may be accepted in languages other than English. SierraTec may request a translation or clarification where reasonably necessary to determine institution, enrollment status, or dates.

7. Full-Time and Part-Time Enrollment

SierraTec may permit both full-time and part-time students where active enrollment in an eligible program can be verified. SierraTec should publish any exclusions for continuing education, non-degree study, secondary school, or other categories before launch.

8. Verification Review

Applications may be reviewed automatically, manually, or through a combination of methods. SierraTec may approve, deny, request additional information, or ask the applicant to correct incomplete or inconsistent information.

9. Re-Verification

Eligibility may be re-verified periodically, including annually. Re-verification may involve academic email confirmation, current enrollment evidence, or updated expected graduation information.

10. Graduation or Loss of Eligibility

Graduation or loss of student status normally does not end an already-paid term immediately. Access may continue through the current paid term. Before renewal, SierraTec may request re-verification and present available plan options if the student is no longer eligible.

11. No Silent Higher-Priced Renewal

SierraTec will not intentionally convert an expired Student Research plan into a materially more expensive paid subscription without clear advance notice and any consent required by applicable law. If no new paid plan is selected, SierraTec may move the account to the Free plan where available.

12. Effect of Downgrade

A move to the Free plan may restrict premium features, additional responses, AI functionality, exports, analytics, storage, or collaboration. SierraTec should provide reasonable notice before materially limiting access to existing data and should offer an appropriate export opportunity.

13. Verification Document Retention

Unless longer retention is reasonably necessary for fraud prevention, disputes, or legal obligations, SierraTec generally aims to delete uploaded verification documents within 90 days after the verification decision.

14. Limited Verification Record

SierraTec may retain a limited record of verification status, institution, verification date, eligibility expiration, method, and internal reference during the Student Research subscription and for up to 24 months after it ends.

15. Unsuccessful or Abandoned Applications

Verification documents from denied or abandoned applications should generally be deleted within 90 days after the final decision or application expiration unless longer retention is reasonably necessary for an appeal, fraud prevention, billing dispute, or legal obligation.

16. Sensitive Information

Applicants should redact government identification numbers, bank details, grades, medical information, financial-aid details, and other information not needed for verification.

17. Third-Party Verification Providers

SierraTec may use an authorized third-party provider to assist with student verification. Relevant information may be transmitted to that provider, and SierraTec will address the provider in applicable privacy and subprocessor disclosures where required.

18. Personal and Academic Use

The discounted Student Research plan is intended for the verified student’s own eligible academic use. It must not be resold, transferred, or used primarily to operate a commercial survey business for unrelated third parties.

19. Account Sharing and Multiple Accounts

Student eligibility may not be sold, transferred, or shared. Unless expressly permitted, an eligible student may maintain only one active discounted Student Research subscription.

20. Fraud and Misrepresentation

SierraTec may revoke student pricing where verification information is falsified, altered, forged, borrowed from another person, or otherwise materially misrepresented.

21. Research Responsibilities

Student verification is not research approval. Students remain responsible for any required instructor approval, IRB or ethics review, participant consent, institutional authorization, and data-protection requirements.

22. Appeals

An applicant whose verification is denied may request reconsideration and provide additional or corrected evidence. An appeal does not guarantee approval.

23. Contact

Student-verification questions may be directed to info@sierratecsecure.com.