How does MathWorks know that I have already graduated? I ask this because of the student license

I would like to know

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

No, Mathworks does not know.

A student license can only be used in accordance with the terms and conditions. One of the terms is that you can only use it during the time that you are enrolled in an eligible educational institution. Another of the terms is that you cannot earn money from it. But Mathworks has no technical mechanism to check enrollment -- but, just like it has no technical mechanism to make it impossible to earn money using a student license, using it outside of enrollment is a license violation.

[Alan Campos Valdillez]

But, for example: if I want to continúe with a master degree one year later after I graduate from college, using the license during that year would be a license violation? Or let’s suppose a 2 months period because of the different administrative processes, would those 2 months suppose a violation?

[Walter Roberson]

The Student license is to be used only in furtherance of degree objectives. If you are not enrolled in a degree then you have no degree objectives.

At this point we get into the difference between what the wording of the license says, versus what Mathworks is likely to complain about.

My personal opinion, as someone who has never been a Mathworks employee:

• if you graduate from undergrad and apply for grad school for the next academic start of admissions (e.g., spring graduation and fall start of new academic year), and you have reason to expect that enrollment will be approved, then Mathworks is (I would think) very unlikely to complain if you used the student license to get a head-start on working on the topic of one of the courses you intend to enroll in
• if you deliberately take a break, such as to earn a bit of money to be able to afford grad school (which can be pretty expensive after all!), then during the break, Mathworks would probably not be happy if you used the student license
• If you deliberately take a break from taking a full degree, but you take a course under "continuing education" that is related to your planned degree (or perhaps can even be used for credit for the degree) then there would be no problem using the license
• If your use of MATLAB during the time you are not enrolled is "personal interest" or "improving MATLAB skills" then that would be outside of the student license -- that would be where a Home license came in
• If your use of MATLAB during the time you are not enrolled is around a topic related to your planned field of study, but not around a particular course, then things get murky
• A student license cannot be used to write research papers that are not degree requirements. A Home license cannot be used to write research papers, whether or not they are degree requirements -- though in the case of anonymous / unattributed contributions to a paper, you could ask Mathworks whether it would be okay (but it probably would not be as the Home license is not for "research")

[Alan Campos Valdillez]

Thank you so much, really specific answer! Thanks a lot!