There are various types of unrestricted domain TLD (Top Level Domain) extensions. The most popular TLD extensions are: .com, .net, .org and .info. Other domain TLD extensions are restricted and require specific qualifications to be used. That's the case with .edu TLD extensions, which can only be registered by U.S.-based post-secondary institutions that are accredited by nationally recognized accrediting agencies, or an agency listed on the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, .edu TLD extensions can only be registered and managed at the EduCause website.
Step 1
Determine if your institution is eligible to get a .edu domain. Visit the ".edu Eligibility" page available on the EduCase website (see Resources). This page will list the names of all the regional institutional accrediting agencies, national institutional and specialized accrediting bodies that accredit institutions, and state agencies that accredit institutions. If you are accredited by one of these bodies, you are eligible to get a .edu domain name.
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Step 2
Go to the "Ready to Request a New .edu Domain Name" page (see Resources) to check if the domain name you want is available.
Step 3
Scroll to the bottom of the page. Type the name you want in the text field displayed beneath where it says ".edu Domain Name Availability Lookup." Click the "Check Domain" tab next to the text field. You will redirected to the "Domain availability results" page, which will indicate if the domain name you want is available or not.
Step 4
Click on the "Check Another Domain" tab if the desired domain name is not available. If it is available, click the "Request This Domain" tab.
Step 5
Provide the legal name of the institution requesting the domain name in the text field beside where it says "Institution name." Enter the city where the institution is located in the field displayed next to where it says "City," then select its corresponding state from the drop-down menu. Click the "Search" tab.
Step 6
Click on your institution's name displayed on the search results. You'll be redirected to the "Create Domain Password" page. Type a password of your choice in the "Password" field. Retype the password you selected in the field displayed beside where it says "Re-enter the password for confirmation." Click the "Next" tab.
Step 7
Enter the administrative contact information. This includes the name of the person or group of people who are responsible for the administrative aspect of the domain name. Click the "Next" tab"
Step 8
Enter the technical contact information. This includes the name of the person or group of people who are in charge of the technical aspect of the domain name. Click the "Next" tab.
Step 9
Type the billing contact information. Enter the name of the person or group of people who are in charge of billing on the domain name. Click the "Next" tab
Step 10
Enter the primary and secondary domain name servers. These are the servers that you'll use to set up your domain name. They must have public IP addresses. Depending on your institution, you might have your own domain name servers, or you might use your Internet service provider for this type of function. If unsure, check with your ISP or your IT department.
Step 11
Click the "Complete" tab. Your .edu domain name registration request will be sent to an executive at the institution for verification and approval. EduCase will contact the administrative contact you used as soon as the domain name is approved.
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