Home   Models   Publications   Media   Purchase   Register   Donate   Contact us   Blog 

Purchase Information Licenses Definitions Eligibility Misuse Policy Payment Options Inquiries

The Purchase webpage provides detailed purchase and licensing information for all available nutrition models and analytical tools, including pricing under Student, Limited (faculty or educational), and Flexible (commercial or consulting) licenses. It outlines special academic volume licensing options, bundle discounts for select model combinations, and clear definitions of each license type and eligibility requirements for faculty and students. The page also explains misuse policies, accepted payment methods through PayPal, and offers a contact form for inquiries related to pricing, licensing, and access.

The table below lists the current prices (in U.S. dollars) for each software model under our Student, Limited (faculty/educational), and Flexible (commercial/consulting) licensing policies. Prices are subject to change without prior notice. Applicable Federal and/or State taxes may apply. For additional details and examples, please see the NutritionModels.com Licensing Guidance.

Academic Volume Licensing (Limited License only). For educational purposes only (i.e., academic use), large volume purchase is available at 10% of the faculty price per computer license for multiples of 100 computers. Send your inquiry about this option using the form below.

Top

• Student License
  • Free with valid proof of academic enrollment
  • License is valid only during active enrollment
  • Expires upon graduation
• Limited License (Faculty – Educational Use)
  • Intended strictly for teaching and academic instruction
  • Software must be installed and used only on university-owned computers
  • Consulting or commercial use is not permitted under this license
• Flexible License (Commercial / Consulting Use)
  • Permits use for commercial, consulting, extension, contract research, and private industry applications
  • Also allows use for education and training without restriction

Academic Research Clarification. Academic research conducted by students, faculty, or post-doctoral researchers as part of teaching, training, thesis/dissertation work, or scholarly publication normally falls under the Student or Limited License, as applicable. However, consulting, contract research, fee-for-service analysis, extension-for-fee, private industry work, or applied commercial decision support requires a Flexible License, regardless of whether the work is performed by a university, government agency, company, or individual. A printable summary of these policies is available here: NutritionModels.com Licensing Guidance.

Top

• Faculty
  • Faculty requesting a Limited License (Educational Use) must submit appropriate documentation verifying their academic appointment. Approved faculty qualify for a 50% discount relative to the Flexible (commercial) license price.
  • If a faculty member intends to use the software for any commercial or consulting purpose, a Flexible License at full price is required.
• Students
  • Students must submit valid proof of academic enrollment (e.g., university ID, transcript, or official confirmation letter).
  • Eligible students should submit their request through the Register web page to obtain their registration code.
  • Students who graduate from one program but continue into another formal degree program (e.g., Master’s or Ph.D.) may continue to qualify for a Student License after submitting updated proof of active enrollment.
  • No payment is required for student licenses.

Top

The Ruminant Nutrition System (RNS) is provided as a single, full-featured edition. Every registered copy, and every copy in its evaluation period, includes the complete modeling engine along with the RNS (and RNS for R) Calculation and Comprehensive Reporting, the Optimizer (least-cost and best-performance solutions), the Visualizer (graphical output for exploring and presenting results), and Batch Reports (running many scenarios at once and exporting consolidated reports). Students, faculty, and commercial users all work with the same complete tool. There are no separate academic or professional versions and no locked features.

Evaluation. RNS may be evaluated for a limited number of uses before registration is required. When the evaluation period ends, a registration code is needed to continue.

License term. Under the current agreement, starting on July 1, 2026, a paid RNS registration is valid for 365 days from the date of registration. You may install updates freely during that period. After 365 days, you may keep using the version you registered for as long as you like; continued use of a newer version released under a new license period requires re-registration (renewal). There is no cost for renewal at this time.

Upgrades. While your license is active, you may upgrade to any newer version at no additional cost. You only need to register again if you upgrade to a newer version after your license period has ended. Reinstalling a version you already own, or installing an older version, always works with your existing registration.

Existing users. Users with a paid RNS registration prior to July 1, 2026, will receive free registration under the current agreement.

Top

• Faculty
  • Faculty requesting a Limited License (Educational Use) must submit appropriate documentation verifying their academic appointment. Approved faculty qualify for a 50% discount relative to the Flexible (commercial) license price.
  • If a faculty member intends to use the software for any commercial or consulting purpose, a Flexible License at full price is required.
• Students
  • Students must submit valid proof of academic enrollment (e.g., university ID, transcript, or official confirmation letter).
  • Eligible students should submit their request through the Register web page to obtain their registration code.
  • Students who graduate from one program but continue into another formal degree program (e.g., Master’s or Ph.D.) may continue to qualify for a Student License after submitting updated proof of active enrollment.
  • No payment is required for student licenses.

Top

Any use of a Student or Limited (Faculty) license for consulting, contract research, extension, or commercial purposes constitutes a violation of the licensing agreement and may result in immediate license termination without refund, retroactive billing at the Flexible license rate, and permanent revocation of access.

Top

All purchases should be completed through PayPal using the secure checkout provided below. PayPal accepts major credit cards and bank debit cards, and a PayPal account is not required. If PayPal payment is not feasible for your institution, please submit an inquiry using the form below, and we will gladly assist you as soon as possible.

Top

If you have any questions regarding licenses, pricing, payment, or access, please submit your inquiry using the form below. We will respond as soon as possible.

Top