If you have previously registered for an account on NYTimes.com (in order to access 10 articles/month for free), you will still need to claim an Academic Pass to get unlimited access to the site.
Simply follow the steps for new users, but instead of creating a new account, click on the link to log in to your NYTimes account and claim the pass there.
Once you reach the "Start Your Access" screen, you are set.
For students, the Academic Pass is valid until your December 31 of your graduation year (which it asks for when you create your account).
For faculty and staff, the Academic Pass is valid for 4 years. You will need to re-activate your account when it expires. Make note of your expiration date when it appears on the "Start Your Access" page.
If you don’t remember the date, simply repeat the steps for activating the pass and you will get verification of your pass, along with the date it expires.