Do you need to upload student proof to enter a competition?
No. You do not upload any student document to register for a competition or to submit an entry. You choose a fee category, pay for the entry or use a membership entry, connect your project, and submit like every other participant.
Student proof is asked for later, and only when there is an award to claim.
When verification is actually asked for
The award closure form adds a Student Verification step when two things are true:
- An award has been assigned to your entry after results.
- You registered that entry under the student or institutional fee category, usually shown as Students or Institutional Access on the competition's Awards & Fees tab.
Entries registered under the professional category never see that step.
You are pointed to the form by email once the award is assigned, and a reminder follows if the form stays unfilled. The email links straight to the form for that entry.
What the form accepts
Upload a scanned copy of any one of these as proof of student or institutional status:
- A bonafide certificate on official university or department letterhead, stamped and signed by the signing authority
- A student ID card
- A letter of authorization
Entries registered under Institutional Access are also asked for the professor's proof of identity.
Also note:
- Accepted formats are PDF, JPG and PNG.
- Include identification of all team members, with cross-signed photographs.
- The form links a bonafide certificate template you can fill in.
Checking where your claim stands
Go to Payout Details in your account settings. The Award Closures section lists each claim and its state: Not Submitted, Submitted, Verified, Disbursed or Rejected. If something you sent did not check out, the reason appears there and you can correct it and send it again.
Before you enter
Who may register, how large a team can be, and which fee categories a competition offers are all set per competition, so read that competition's rules before registering. Student verification is not part of that step.
Related reading: student pricing and how prize money is claimed.
If you were asked to verify and no email reached you, write to contact@uni.xyz with the competition name and your entry.