What Is Tinder U?

I’m currently a sophomore in college on the West coast. I’ve been hearing a lot about ‘Tinder U.’ I’m currently not a member of Tinder or any other dating app for that matter. I have been planning on joining one though. This is why Tinder U grabbed my attention. Is it different from regular Tinder? Are they in any way related? Or are they two totally different and independent apps? As a college student would there be any benefit in choosing Tinder U over regular Tinder? I hope my questions don’t make me sound too naive or dumb about the world of online dating. Any answers would certainly help. Thanks a bunch, Lisa.

Dear Lisa,

In the world of online dating as with anything else, the only silly question is the one that is not asked. Your questions about Tinder U are very reasonable for someone in your position.

Being a young college student who is considering joining her first online dating platform, researching all of your options beforehand is a very smart thing to do.

Tinder U is an internal feature of the larger Tinder app.

In other words, you don’t have the option of joining either Tinder U or regular Tinder. You must first register for an account on the regular Tinder app. If you meet certain characteristics, using the Tinder U option will be made available to you.

Who is allowed to use Tinder U

Tinder U is only available to users of Tinder who are attending accredited 4-year not-for-profit colleges.

Proving your eligibility

To register for the Tinder U feature you must do so while you are on campus. This is because it will use your phones geolocation function to establish where you are. Also, you must verify your request to activate the feature by providing your “.edu” email address on your school’s domain. You will then be sent a confirmation link.

That’s all that is needed to activate Tinder U on regular Tinder.

Once you activate to the Tinder U option, you can communicate with others who have also activated the feature. In other words, your interaction will be with profiles which belong to other college students such as yourself.

Don’t worry about missing out on the rest of the Tinder community. You can alternate between Tinder U and regular Tinder as often as you like. There is no added cost to use the feature.