AI Student Discounts & Free Offers That Still Work in 2026 (US Students)
By: Abdullah · Published:
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Student offers change fast, and plenty of "student discount" pages online are stale or wrong. This guide works from each company's own student page where possible, and it leaves out anything we could not confirm.
Wedgli is not affiliated with any of the companies listed here. Prices and offers can change at any time, so always confirm on the official page before you pay.
All prices in this guide are in US dollars, checked on October 19, 2026. Prices can differ by country and change without notice.
Comparison table
| Tool | What's free or discounted | Who qualifies (.edu email?) | How long | Catch / limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 4 free months of ChatGPT Plus (OpenAI calls it ChatGPT Work) | Current US college students; SheerID check using a school-issued email | 4 months | Needs a school-issued email and date of birth; renews after the free months unless you cancel; claim by Oct 31 |
| Claude | No individual student discount; Free plan | Everyone (Free); campus plans if your school buys one | Free plan has no end | Pro is $17/month billed annually; Max starts at $100/month |
| Gemini | Free 12-month Google AI Pro plan (US students; AI Plus elsewhere) | Depends on country; personal Google account | 12 months from redemption | Card required; auto-charges after the free period; redeem by Dec 31, 2026 |
| NotebookLM (now Gemini Notebook) | Free tier; higher limits with AI Pro | Any Google account; student AI plan lifts limits | Free tier has no end | Paid limits tied to Google AI plans |
| Perplexity | Education Pro at $9/mo when billed annually (50% off) | Verified students and educators | Billed annually | A discount, not free |
| GitHub Copilot | Copilot Student, free | Verified students via GitHub Education | While you're a student | Usage limits apply; check GitHub's page |
| Microsoft Copilot | 50% off Microsoft 365 Personal ($4.99/mo, Copilot included) | Full- or part-time college students; personal Microsoft account, not an EDU account | Renews at the discounted price unless cancelled | Not free; the free year ended in 2025 |
| Canva | Nothing for college students | K-12 only | n/a | The free Canva plan still exists |
| Notion (Education plan) | Free Education plan (one member) | School email only (no student ID accepted) | Re-verify your school email each year | One member per workspace; AI terms: check Notion |
| Grammarly | 50% off Pro | Verified students via SheerID | One subscription period | "Limited time"; no stacking; not valid via app stores |
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
What you get: Four free months of ChatGPT Plus, which OpenAI's offer page calls ChatGPT Work. The offer page values it at $80.
Who qualifies: Current full-time and part-time students at eligible US degree-granting schools.
How to claim:
- Go to chatgpt.com/students/2026 and hit "Claim free offer."
- Sign in to the ChatGPT account where you want the offer applied.
- Enter your school, name and date of birth, then verify with a school-issued email. The program doesn't allow VPNs.
- Add a payment method if the page asks for one.
The catch:
- The deadline is Oct 31.
- The plan renews after the free months unless you cancel.
- The offer is for eligible US college students only, and VPNs aren't allowed.
Best for: Anyone who wants a strong all-rounder for a semester. Set a cancel reminder for month four.
Official page: chatgpt.com/students/2026
Claude (Anthropic)
What you get: A Free plan at $0, a Pro plan at $17/month billed annually ($20/month billed monthly), and a Max plan from $100/month. Pro adds more usage and access to Claude Code and Cowork.
Who qualifies: Anyone can use Free. Anthropic's pricing page shows no student tier for individuals. It does describe an Education plan that universities buy for students, faculty and staff.
How to claim: There's nothing to claim individually. Ask your IT office or library whether your school has a Claude plan, then sign in the way they tell you.
The catch: Any site selling a "Claude student plan" at a special flat rate isn't from Anthropic.
Best for: Free-plan users who want a solid writing and study assistant at no cost.
Official page: claude.com/pricing
Gemini (Google)
What you get: A free 12-month Google AI Pro plan for eligible US college students aged 18+. Students in many other countries get Google AI Plus instead.
Who qualifies: College students in eligible countries, with a personal Google Account. Eligibility is shown on the official student page.
How to claim:
- Open one.google.com/ai-student on a personal account.
- Choose the student offer and verify with SheerID.
- Add a payment method at sign-up.
The catch:
- Redeem by December 31, 2026. The 12 months run from the day you redeem.
- It auto-charges after the free period unless you cancel. Google lists AI Plus at $9.99/month and AI Pro at $19.99/month, so check the price shown when you redeem.
- It doesn't work on a school-issued Workspace account.
Best for: Heavy researchers and anyone living in Google Docs, Gmail and Drive.
Official page: one.google.com/ai-student
NotebookLM, now Gemini Notebook (Google)
What you get: A free source-grounded research notebook, now called Gemini Notebook.
Who qualifies: Anyone with a Google account. Paid tiers are bundled into Google AI plans, so the student AI plan lifts your limits.
How to claim: Sign in with a personal Google account and open a notebook. For higher limits, claim the Gemini offer above.
The catch: Exact free and paid caps change. Check Gemini Notebook Help for current numbers.
Best for: Turning lecture notes, PDFs and readings into study guides and summaries.
Official page: Gemini Notebook Help
Perplexity
What you get: The Education Pro plan at $9/month when billed annually, which is 50% off, plus +$40 in free Computer credits for a limited time. The regular personal Pro plan is $17/month billed annually, and Max is $167/month billed annually.
Who qualifies: Verified students and educators. On the plans screen, choose "Verify as student" or "Verify as educator".
How to claim: Go to perplexity.ai/students, open the plans screen, pick the Education tab, and follow the verification flow.
The catch: It's a discount, not a free year. The +$40 Computer credits are a limited-time bonus.
Best for: Citation-heavy research months. The free plan is fine otherwise.
Official page: perplexity.ai/students
GitHub Copilot
What you get: Copilot Student through the GitHub Student Developer Pack. The same pack includes free GitHub Pro access and 180 monthly Codespaces hours while you're a student.
Who qualifies: Verified students. Third-party guides say a school email or enrollment documents work.
How to claim:
- Go to education.github.com/pack.
- Click "Sign up for Student Developer Pack."
- Sign in to GitHub and verify your student status.
- Turn on Copilot in your GitHub settings.
The catch: Usage limits apply, and Copilot Student ends if you stop being a verified student.
Best for: CS and engineering students who code in VS Code or similar editors.
Official page: education.github.com/pack
Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365 Personal)
What you get: 50% off Microsoft 365 Personal, listed at $4.99/month. It includes Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook, plus 1 TB of OneDrive. The student page doesn't show the regular price, so check it at sign-up.
Who qualifies: Full- and part-time students at accredited colleges. Use a personal Microsoft account, not an EDU account.
How to claim:
- Sign in with a personal Microsoft account (not an EDU account).
- Add payment info.
- Verify your student status with a school email or other student proof.
- Start using Microsoft 365 on your devices.
The catch: The subscription renews at the discounted monthly price unless you cancel. AI usage limits apply.
Best for: Students who need Office apps and Copilot together.
Official page: microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/college-student-pricing
Canva
What you get: Nothing special for college students. Canva says Education is free for K-12 teachers and students, and it isn't currently available to college and university students. You can still use the free Canva plan.
Official page: canva.com/education
Notion (Education plan)
What you get: A free Education plan for individual students. It's a one-member workspace with up to 100 guests, unlimited uploads and 30-day page history.
Who qualifies: Students at accredited schools listed in the World Higher Education Database. You need a school email. Notion doesn't accept student IDs.
How to claim:
- Make your school email the main email on your Notion account.
- Open Settings, then Upgrade plan, in the desktop or web app (not mobile).
- Choose "Get free Education Plan."
The catch:
- Each school email can claim it once.
- You re-verify yearly.
- Lose your school email and the workspace drops to Free.
- Upgrading to Plus ($10 per member/month), Business ($20 per member/month) or Enterprise permanently ends that workspace's eligibility. If you're on Plus, downgrade to Free first.
Best for: Notes, planners and class dashboards.
Official page: notion.com/help/notion-for-education
Grammarly
What you get: For a limited time, 50% off Grammarly Pro through SheerID. Pro includes the Superhuman Go assistant and Authorship, which records your writing process. The regular Pro price is listed at $12/month billed monthly.
Who qualifies: Students verified through SheerID, under Grammarly for Students or Grammarly for Graduate Students.
How to claim: Use the SheerID links on Grammarly's student discount support page.
The catch: The discount covers one subscription period only. It can't be combined with other offers or applied through the App Store or Google Play. The page doesn't show an end date, so check it before you sign up. Extra seats are billed at the standard rate.
Best for: Heavy writers who want citations and a record of their drafting.
Official page: support.grammarly.com ("Does Grammarly offer discounts for students?")
Offers that ended or don't exist (don't waste your time)
- Microsoft's free 12-month Microsoft 365 Personal for students: It ended Oct 31, 2025, according to Microsoft's support answer. Any later free promo is not confirmed.
- The old Gemini free year: That earlier offer has closed. Google launched a new student offer on Aug 19, 2026 (see above).
- A permanent free ChatGPT Plus program: No such program was found. The current student offer is a four-month promo with an Oct 31 deadline.
- A Claude student discount: It doesn't exist for individuals.
- Canva Education for college students: Not available.
- A universal free year of Perplexity Pro: the personal Pro plan is $17/month when billed annually, and the student plan is 50% off.
Limited or region-specific offers
- Google AI Plus (not Pro) is the free-year plan for students in many other countries. Not for US students.
- Grammarly, Microsoft, Notion and Claude may reach you free through your school's license. Check your library or IT page.
Build a free AI stack for college
These use the offers covered above.
Writing-heavy
- ChatGPT Plus (4 free months) for drafting and feedback
- Grammarly (50% off Pro, or free plan) for polish
- Notion Education plan for notes and outlines
- Claude Free as a second opinion
STEM and coding
- GitHub Student Pack for Copilot Student, GitHub Pro and Codespaces
- Google student AI plan (free year, where offered) for explanations and problem sets
- Notion Education for lab notes
Research-heavy
- Google student AI plan with Gemini Notebook for sources and summaries
- Perplexity ($9/mo on the education plan, in crunch months)
- Microsoft 365 Personal (50% off) if you need Word and Excel
Common mistakes and scams
- Fake discount sites. Go straight to the company's own page. Be suspicious of any site selling a "Claude student plan" at a flat special rate.
- Sharing your .edu email. Offers are tied to you. Notion lets each school email claim once.
- "Free Plus" from unofficial sellers. Official ChatGPT access comes from OpenAI's claim page. Buying a shared or resold account risks losing it.
- Forgetting auto-renewal. ChatGPT and Google plans bill you after the free period unless you cancel.
- Using a school Workspace account. Google's offer isn't valid on those.
Academic integrity
Having a tool doesn't mean you can use it in every class. Read each course syllabus and ask your instructor if the policy is unclear. When AI use is allowed, keep your drafts and notes.
FAQ
Is ChatGPT free for students?
For four months of ChatGPT Work, if you're a US college student and claim by Oct 31, 2026. After that it's a paid plan unless you cancel.
Does Claude have a student discount?
Not for individuals. The Free plan is available to everyone, and some schools buy campus plans.
Is Gemini free for students?
Often yes. Many countries get a free 12-month Google AI plan. The plan and deadline depend on your country, so check one.google.com/ai-student.
Is NotebookLM free?
Yes, the base tier is free. Google renamed it Gemini Notebook, and paid limits come with Google AI plans.
Is GitHub Copilot free for students?
Yes, Copilot Student is free for verified students through the Student Developer Pack, with usage limits.
Is Perplexity free for students?
Not free. For verified students, Education Pro is $9/month when billed annually, which is 50% off.
Do I need an .edu email?
Often a school email, yes. Notion requires one. Microsoft and others also accept other proof.
Is Canva free for college students?
Canva Education isn't open to them. The free Canva plan is.
Will I be charged after the free trial?
Usually yes for ChatGPT and Gemini, unless you cancel first.
Conclusion
Right now, the strongest moves are Google's student AI plan (where offered), GitHub Copilot Student, and ChatGPT Plus before Oct 31. Student offers change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.