.edu

country:	United States
Manager:	EDUCAUSE
Registry Provider:	Verisign
Date Implemented:	1985
Type:	sponsored top level domain (sTLD)
Community:	educational institutions
More information:

.edu is one of the original top-level domain names (TLD) implemented in the root zone of the internet Domain Name System (DNS). Domain name registrations for .edu is restricted for the use of accredited post secondary educational institutions in the United States. The registry operations of the domain name is operated by EDUCAUSE through a Cooperative Agreement granted by the United States Department of Commerce (DOC), the final authority in making decision regarding the membership and operations of .edu domain.

Background

.edu TLD was introduced by Jon Postel and Joyce Reynolds in 1984 through RFC 920 and it was implemented in the root zone of the internet DNS in 1985 along with .arpa, .com, .gov, .mil, .net, and .org. Originally, the .edu TLD was intended for all educational institutions, however it was limited to four colleges and universities. The Network Information Center (NIC) was the first registrar for the TLDs. In early 1990s, the registration of non-military domain names .com, .edu, gov and .net was transferred to Network Solutions through a Cooperative Agreement which was granted by the National Science Foundation. Network Solutions managed the domain name registrations of .edu TLD until 2001.On October 21, 2001, EDUCAUSE signed a five-year Cooperative Agreement with the DOC to take over the domain name registrations for .edu TLD. On February 2, 2006, the DOC renewed the .edu TLD Cooperative Agreement with EDUCAUSE for another five years. Under the new contract, EDUCAUSE was authorized to charge $40 yearly administration fee for every domain name and to implement policies that will prohibit the transfer of .edu domain names to other registrars. On September 30, 2011, The Cooperative Agreement was again extended until 2016.