Apple brings Student ID system to Canada, expands U.S. reach

Apple student ID reaches more places

Apple has announced that its Student ID system on iPhones and Apple Watch will be introduced across more U.S. universities and also in Canada for the first time in the next school year.

Apple’s ID parade

On its inexorable march to becoming your digital everything, passport, driving license and COVID vaccine proof, Apple notes how universities are abandoning plastic cards for their ID systems in order to put these systems in mobile devices.

In April 2021, for the first time since launching mobile student IDs in Wallet, students used their mobile IDs to make purchases and access campus buildings more than they used plastic ID cards.

This fall, the University of Alabama will be the first school to exclusively issue mobile student IDs to their 38,000 students with eligible devices.

Apple began offering this system in October 2018 when it made it available across Duke University and the Universities of Alabama and Oklahoma. Johns Hopkins, Santa Clara and Temple Universities began offering the system later that year.

What Apple said

“We’re excited to work with more schools in the US and introduce mobile student IDs in Canada to provide a secure and convenient way to get around campus with iPhone and Apple Watch,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay.

“Students and faculty have embraced using their iPhone and Apple Watch as the best way to access buildings, purchase meals, and more.”

A student ID card on iPhone and Apple Watch

What the news means

For the first time, mobile student IDs can be added to the Wallet app in Canada, starting with the University of New Brunswick and Sheridan College this year. In the U.S., new schools to adopt mobile student IDs include Auburn University, Northern Arizona University, University of Maine, New Mexico State University, and many more colleges across the country.

The move adds tens of thousands of additional students to the existing army of those using the system to access their schools.

What the Universities say

“The response from our campus community for the mobile ID has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Jeanine Brooks, the University of Alabama’s Action Card director. “Going contactless over the last year was an easy transition for us because of it. Using their UA ACT Card in Wallet has saved students — and the university — time and money. They use it to access their residence halls, recreation centers, student events, libraries, vending machines, and so much more. Students don’t lose their cards, so card theft and replacement are no longer concerns or costs. Our students are thrilled with this feature.”

“UNB is a leader in deploying technology that is convenient and easy to use,” said Terry Nikkel, University of New Brunswick’s chief information officer and associate vice president of Information Technology Services. “Our students with iPhone and Apple Watch are really going to like our mobile ID card for its flexibility and usefulness, and we are pleased to be the first university in Canada to offer this service.”

How it works

To enable student IDs on Wallet, Apple works with industry leaders for campus credentials and mobile access, including Transact, CBORD, TouchNet, Atrium, HID Global, and Allegion.

To use the system students must load their ID cards to their Apple Wallet, after which they just need to swipe their device on the card reader to get what they need.

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