Staff Writer: Tony Le
Email: tle29@umass.edu
Editing photos in Photoshop, vectoring logos in Illustrator, and assembling layouts in InDesign all require a single prerequisite: Adobe Creative Cloud. For graphic design students, these tools aren’t optional. These programs are part of their daily routine, whether they’re turning an idea into an assignment, building their portfolio, or meeting a client deadline.
At UMass Dartmouth, uncertainty over Adobe access raised concerns, prompting a student petition and fostering worries among students over the cost of completing design coursework. Two graphic design students described different sides of that uncertainty: one lost previously free access and bought a subscription, while the other still has access but worries about how long it will last.
Sam Haley, a senior graphic design student, commutes 45 to 50 minutes from Pembroke while balancing coursework and two jobs.
A week before classes began, Haley discovered that previously free access had stopped working. Department contacts initially suggested an account glitch while using Adobe’s products. However, by the start of classes, professors informed students they would no longer have personal access, according to Haley.
As a result, Haley had to buy a student subscription, during a back-to-school sale for $18.99 a month. Previously, she had alternated between paying for Adobe while out of school, and receiving free access for classes through the university student account.
“We were told to pay for it,” Haley said. But, other students shared information about formerly free accounts, and some professors mentioned their availability and directed students to those who could help students obtain access. While Haley received one of those accounts, the availability of the free access had varied from year to year.
According to Haley, “It was never consistent.”
Grace Kelley, a junior graphic design student living on campus, said she was advised during her first semester to sign in quickly to secure one of a limited number of free accounts, leading her to believe her account access would continue throughout her undergraduate studies.
“The way that it was stated to me, it was first come, first served for all four years,” Kelley said.
“Adobe programs are required in my major, so you cannot pass without them. Or if you [use other programs], it’s not the way you’re intended to pass,” Kelley continued.
Though Kelley’s account was still active at the time of her interview, she emphasized her inability to afford a monthly subscription if her access was cut. Losing access would leave her unable to retrieve any previous projects stored in Creative Cloud, which were inaccessible through her separate campus-work account.
“I would lose my entire portfolio. I wouldn’t be able to complete the homework that’s due on Monday,” she said.
While both students said free access was available to some design peers, the total number granted access could not be confirmed.
Adobe currently advertises Creative Cloud Pro for eligible first-time student subscribers at $19.99 monthly for the first year, with a 12-month commitment, and renews after at $39.99 monthly. Without education discounts or promotions, Adobe’s pricing terms list the regular annual plan at a steep-for-students $69.99 monthly.
“I think the monthly cost is really scary,” Haley said.
The University Response
Ryan Merrill, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Media Relations, clarified that the university’s policy has long required students to obtain their own personal Adobe access.
“That policy has been consistent for a very long time,” Merrill said.
Merrill attributed previously free student access to an Adobe pandemic offer. In 2020, Adobe temporarily allowed students at participating schools to use Creative Cloud remotely during campus closures.
That program ended July 6, 2020, raising questions about its connection to the free accounts Haley and Kelley described using roughly six years later. Merrill could not confirm Haley and Kelley’s collections of limited free accounts and said he would need to investigate and look for any supporting documentation.
“That was just what was explained to me,” Merrill said. He maintained that the university would not intentionally withdraw access to software essential to students’ coursework and attributed the loss to Adobe rescinding its offer.
Afterward, Merrill said him, the CVPA Deans, and others were considering solutions but identified no current alternatives beyond virtual computer access or paying for subscriptions. He offered to obtain lab access information and look further into how Adobe files are handled on shared computers.
“We are working on it, and we know how critical it is,” Merrill said.
The Torch’s requests for comment were sent to additional CVPA faculty members, but were either declined or left unanswered.
Access Beyond The Classroom
UMass Dartmouth’s CITS website lists Creative Cloud in public labs, including the library and through a CVPA virtual machine in Corsair Desktop, which Merrill confirmed. However, Kelley pushed back against students’ relying on the virtual desktop, stating that it “crashes a lot and is unreliable in saving work.”
For Haley, relying on campus labs presents a different hurdle. Balancing assignments around two jobs and a 45-50 minute commute, with some days on campus stretching to 9 p.m., completing all coursework in labs is out of the question. “Absolutely not.I get a lot of [my course] work done on weekends,” she said.
CVPA’s policy confirms semester card access for students taking classes in its six labs, with other access requests directed to CVPA staff. The official page lists that labs operate during normal CVPA hours and are closed Sundays, holidays, and during academic breaks.
Kelley further worries that shared lab accounts could expose personal information in students’ projects, including names, student ID numbers, and contact details on resumes. “I don’t want every single student of this university to have access to [details about me],” she said.
Elsewhere, other UMass campuses offer similar and different options: UMass Amherst provides free Adobe remote access to their library computers, like UMass Dartmouth, and offers licenses through Azure Virtual Desktop for required coursework. UMass Boston’s bookstore lists a 12-month Creative Cloud Pro subscription for $299.99 and accepts financial aid for eligible purchases.
Concerns about access and communication prompted Kelley to launch a petition, calling for school-sponsored accounts for CVPA students. The form asks for one’s information and includes an optional message to the CVPA Dean, where students can voice their opinion.
Several respondents pointed out the discrepancy between existing fees and software access, with one specifically emphasizing the essential need for the application.
“You would not expect a biology major to buy their own microscopes and lab centrifuges,” the student wrote, arguing that lack of access to industry-standard software could jeopardize many students’ career prospects after graduation.
Kelley reported around 100 signatures at the time of her interview and described support from peers and faculty.
The flyer for Kelley’s petition urges students to “KEEP ADOBE FREE,” arguing they have already paid through technology fees. UMass Dartmouth charges full-time undergraduates $600 annually, but the bursar describes the fee as supporting infrastructure and education, not a personal Adobe entitlement. Kelley argues that CVPA students should receive access or pay a discounted rate, similar to UMass Boston’s discounted 12-month plan.
“I do feel that it is the administration’s responsibility to keep us clearly informed about what we have as students,” Kelley said.
“I think if you’re gonna make us pay for it, be clear and don’t go back on it,” Haley said.
To share concerns about Adobe access or support the need for clarity and school-sponsored subscriptions for CVPA students, students can sign the Adobe Subscription Petition.