Public standard

The StudyPass ID Standard

What a StudyPass ID is, who can issue and hold one, what it shows and how anyone can check it.

Version 1.0 Published Published by StudyPass

1Purpose

This standard sets out the rules every StudyPass ID meets, whichever college issued it. It lets venues, businesses and other organisations recognise all StudyPass IDs in one step and check them in the same way.

Each college is the official issuer of its students' IDs. StudyPass is the platform that issues and checks the cards on the college's behalf.

2Who can issue a StudyPass ID

  • Each StudyPass ID is issued by a college. A college's RTO number, the "Registered training organisation" line on its cards and its place on the list of issuing colleges only appear once StudyPass has confirmed on training.gov.au (the national register of vocational education and training in Australia) that the registration belongs to that college and is current, with no current restriction or regulatory decision.
  • StudyPass rechecks each college's registration daily. A college that can't be confirmed for 7 days is removed from the list and its cards stop showing the RTO number.
  • A college's CRICOS provider code is shown where the college holds one, under the same confirmation.

3Who can hold one

  • A currently enrolled student of the issuing college, with an active student account in that college's StudyPass app.
  • A StudyPass ID is optional. Students choose whether to set one up, and everything else in the app works without it.

4Identity and photo

  • The student's name and student number come from the college's records. Students can't change the name printed on their card.
  • The student takes or uploads a photo in the app. College staff approve every photo before a card is issued.
  • When staff reject a photo, the student is told why and given a tip for a retake.

5What every card shows

  • The college's name and its RTO number (and CRICOS code where it holds one).
  • The student's name, photo and student number.
  • The card number and a "Valid until" date.
  • A Full-time badge, only when the college records the student as studying full-time. Part-time study shows no badge.
  • A live colour strip that moves and a clock that shows the current time, so a screenshot or photo of the card is easy to spot.
  • A QR code that changes every 30 seconds.
  • A "Verified by StudyPass" band with the address studypass.app/verify, the same on every college's card.

6Verification

  • Anyone can check a card by scanning its QR code with a phone camera. No app or account is needed.
  • The QR code changes every 30 seconds. Each code is signed with a secret key held only for that card (HMAC-SHA256), so a code can't be made up or altered.
  • Scanning opens the issuing college's check page on a studypass.app address. A current code shows "Verified student".
  • A code more than about two minutes old is shown as out of date ("This code has expired"), so a screenshot or a photo of a code doesn't pass.
  • Only the live code in the app can't be screenshotted. A card saved to Apple Wallet and a proof of enrolment image carry a fixed link instead, so staff must also check the photo against the student. Their check page says "Wallet pass" or "Proof of enrolment" instead of "Live now".
  • Scanning a Wallet pass checks the card's status at that moment. A pass from an older issue of the card (renewed, cancelled or reinstated since) no longer verifies.
  • A proof of enrolment link stays valid through photo renewals until the card is cancelled or expires; after that it shows "Not a valid student ID".
  • Cancelled, expired and unknown cards show "Not a valid student ID" with no personal details.
  • Every check is logged with the time, the result and the checker's browser type. The checker's IP address is stored only as a one-way hash, never in full.

7Validity and cancellation

  • A card is valid for 12 months from the day its photo is approved, unless the platform sets a different period. An approved replacement photo starts a new period. The card always shows its exact "Valid until" date.
  • The college can cancel a card at any time. It stops verifying immediately.
  • A card also stops verifying as soon as the college deactivates or removes the student's account, for example when the student leaves.
  • The college can reinstate a cancelled card. A new Apple Wallet pass is then needed.

8Privacy

  • The check page shows only the student's name, photo, the last 4 digits of the card number, the "Valid until" date and the study load (Full-time) where the college records it.
  • It never shows the full student number, date of birth, address, contact details or course.
  • Check pages are not cached and are marked so search engines don't index them.
  • For how StudyPass handles personal information, see the StudyPass Privacy Policy.

9Fraud and reporting

If you think a StudyPass ID is fake or being misused, don't accept it, and tell us through the contact form or at [email protected]. Include where and when it happened. We pass reports to the college that issued the card. Please don't keep a student's phone.

10Changes to this standard

We may update this standard as the StudyPass ID improves. Each new version is published on this page with its own version number and date.

This version: 1.0, 17 October 2026.