Your student subscription will automatically renew as an Apple Music individual subscription if you're still a student and do not verify your student status during the verification period. If you want to obtain the discounted rate, you'll need to resubscribe as a student and go through the verification process.

For Apple Music student subscriptions, the tech giant is partnering with UniDays, which houses and shares student discounts for brands and stores across its site and provides online student verification services. 

Also: Spotify vs. Apple Music: I've subscribed to both streaming services, and prefer this one 

The current Apple Music student offer highlighted on the UniDays website is one month of Apple Music for free, followed by half-price monthly. Plus, you'll get access to Apple TV+.

I wouldn't have written this article if there was anything remotely suspicious about this student discount from Apple, which requires verification from UniDays. I used UniDays and other student-discount platforms like Student Beans for all four years of college and completed the student verification process myself. It is easy to do, and I have had no issues. Although I have now graduated, I continue to keep up with the best student offers to share with friends, family, and ZDNET readers.

Of course, there's always a potential risk when you place any information online, so I recommend being cautious. However, Apple is not out to compromise customer trust by partnering with nefarious sites. 

Also: The 4 streaming services I swear by - and my bill is just $40 a month

If Apple supports student verification via UniDays (much like many other companies), you can trust that the process has been vetted. The company would have a lot to lose if it weren't.

Students enrolled in a degree-granting institution can receive up to 48 months of Apple Music at a discounted student rate. Four years is the typical time necessary to complete a bachelor's degree at many colleges and universities.

To qualify for an Apple Music student subscription (which offers a discount), you must be a student studying an associate, bachelor's, or postgraduate degree (or an equivalent higher education course) at a college or university and have your student status verified.

If you're already subscribed to Apple Music, you can change your subscription plan. Apple offers an individual and a family plan, as well as its exclusive student pricing plan. If you are a student already paying the full rate for Apple Music, completing the verification steps for your student status will allow you to obtain your student discount and switch to the student plan.