The .edu top-level domain (TLD) is restricted to accredited post-secondary educational institutions in the United States. Organizations outside of the US, including in the Philippines, cannot register .edu domain names.
Restrictions on .edu domain registration
The .edu domain is managed and restricted by EDUCAUSE, a US-based non-profit organization. EDUCAUSE only allows accredited higher education institutions that are based in the United States to register .edu domain names.
Some key restrictions on .edu domain registration include:
- Location – Only US-based institutions can register .edu domains. This excludes all foreign institutions, including those in the Philippines.
- Accreditation – The institution must be officially accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education. Schools outside the US cannot get this accreditation.
- Type of institution – The organization must provide 4-year undergraduate degrees or graduate/professional degrees. K-12 schools and vocational institutions cannot register .edu domains.
- Ownership – The domain name must be owned by the institution itself, not individual departments or students.
- Purpose – The domain must be used for the institution’s educational purposes only. Commercial activity is forbidden.
These restrictions essentially prohibit any entity outside the US from registering or using .edu domain names.
Is .edu domain free?
No, .edu domains are not free. Accredited US institutions must pay an annual fee to register and renew a .edu domain name.
The annual fee is currently $400 per domain name. This fee helps fund EDUCAUSE’s management and oversight of the .edu domain space.
So while .edu domains are restricted to US-based schools, those institutions still must pay for the right to use them. They are not free or automatically provided to accredited schools.
How to get .edu domain in the Philippines
Since the .edu TLD is limited to US institutions, organizations in the Philippines cannot obtain or use .edu domains.
The closest option for Philippine schools and universities is to register under the country’s own .ph top-level domain. Some examples are:
- .edu.ph – Reserved for Philippine higher education institutions. Must be accredited by CHED.
- .gov.ph – For Philippine government entities.
- .org.ph – For non-profit organizations in the Philippines.
- .com.ph – For commercial entities in the Philippines.
Here are some guidelines for Philippine schools and organizations to get a domain name under .ph:
- Contact a PH domain name registrar to check availability. Some popular registrars are Truehost.ph, dotPH, and Globe.
- Provide required organizational documentation to verify eligibility.
- Complete the domain registration and pay the annual fee (typically ₱350 – ₱500 per year).
- Manage your domain records via the registrar’s control panel.
- Renew your .ph domain annually to keep it active.
So in summary, Philippine institutions cannot use .edu and should instead register appropriate .ph domain names.
While not as prestigious globally, .edu.ph domains signal legitimacy as an accredited Philippine school.
And other .ph domains work for non-education organizations in the country.
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