I’m starting this thread because I’m fed up, and I know I’m not alone. Like many of you, I’m a student who was excited to use Cursor, only to get trapped in a completely broken verification loop. This isn’t a minor bug; it’s a systemic failure that makes the student offer feel like a disingenuous promise.
My own experience is identical to what’s been detailed in other threads, which proves this is a pattern, not a one-off issue.
Exhibit A: The SheerID Runaround
( Cursor for Students inaccessible despite .edu email )
Here we have a Master’s student who meets every requirement, yet the verification link errors out. After a few tries, the system locks them out. SheerID support? Useless. They just close the ticket. Result: a qualified student is permanently blocked.
Exhibit B: The Cursor-Specific Failure
( Verification for Cursor Pro Student Discount is Broken )
This user confirms what many of us suspect: SheerID works perfectly fine for them everywhere else. The problem is specifically with Cursor’s integration. They hit the exact same wall: verification error, then locked out for “too many attempts.” Result: another qualified student is permanently blocked.
Let’s call this what it is: a predictable cycle of failure.
We, as legitimate students, start the process in good faith with valid credentials.
The system predictably fails at the final step—the one that actually grants the license. This points directly to a broken integration on Cursor’s end.
We are then punished for the system’s incompetence by being locked out with a “Verification Limit Exceeded” message.
The prescribed solution, “contact SheerID support,” is a black hole designed to close tickets, not solve problems.
So, let’s be blunt. An advertised student discount that is functionally impossible for a significant number of users to redeem feels less like a technical glitch and more like a farce. It’s a marketing tactic that allows you to claim you support students, while the broken gate ensures you don’t actually have to give out many Pro licenses.
We are tired of the runaround. We demand a real response from the Cursor team, not deflection.
Acknowledge It’s Broken: Stop hiding behind SheerID. Publicly admit that your verification pipeline is failing your users.
Provide an Immediate Workaround: Create a manual verification process for those of us you’ve locked out. We can provide our student IDs and .edu emails directly to a human at Cursor.
Fix Your System: Commit to a timeline for deploying a permanent fix to this integration.
Your student users are your future professional customers and advocates.