Which student offers are free right now, which need your college, and which are not free at all. Checked against each provider's own page on 3 October 2026.

By Triveni Narayan Priy, Technical Triveni. Last checked 3 October 2026.

Most lists of free student software are copied from each other and go stale within months. This one gives every tool one of five labels, so you know what you are signing up for before you spend time on verification. Every link goes to the provider's own page.

Three things changed in 2026 that older lists get wrong. GitHub moved students to a smaller Copilot Student plan in March and says new activations are paused. Google's India offer is Google AI Plus for 12 months, with a 31 December 2026 redeem deadline, not the Google AI Pro offer that closed in 2025. And AWS launched Student Rewards in August, with premium Skill Builder access, credits and an exam voucher.

GET THE FULL GUIDE: Download the FREE PDF with all 23 tools, official provider links, eligibility details and verification guidance.

At a glance

Tool	Label	Official page
GitHub Student Developer Pack	Student-free	education.github.com/pack
JetBrains Student License	Student-free	jetbrains.com/community/education
Azure for Students	Student-free	azure.microsoft.com/free/students
AWS Student Rewards	Student-free	builder.aws.com
Google AI Plus (Gemini for Students)	Student-free	gemini.google/students
Microsoft 365 Education	Via college	microsoft.com/education/products/office
Notion Education Plus	Student-free	notion.com/product/notion-for-education
Figma Education	Student-free	figma.com/education
Canva for Education	Via college	canva.com/education
Adobe Creative Cloud	Discount	adobe.com/in/creativecloud/buy/students
DaVinci Resolve (free version)	Always free	blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
NPTEL on SWAYAM	Always free	nptel.ac.in
Cisco Networking Academy	Always free	netacad.com
Coursera for Campus	Via college	coursera.org
LinkedIn Learning	Via college	linkedin.com/learning
Autodesk Education (Fusion, AutoCAD)	Student-free	autodesk.com/in/education
MATLAB and Simulink	Via college	mathworks.com/academia/students
Altium Designer student license	Student-free	altium.com/education/students
AMD Vivado ML Standard	Always free	xilinx.com/support/download
Quartus Prime Lite (Altera)	Always free	altera.com
Wokwi	Always free	wokwi.com
LTspice	Always free	analog.com/ltspice
KiCad	Always free	kicad.org

How to read the labels

• Student-free: Free while you are a verified student. Most of these renew each year.
• Via college: Free only if your college has signed up. Ask your library or T&P cell.
• Discount: Cheaper for students, but you still pay.
• Always free: Free for everyone. No student proof needed.
• Paused or ended: Was free once. Check before you plan around it.

Your verification kit

• Use your college email if you have one. Microsoft 365, Notion, Altium and MATLAB check your email domain first, and it is the quickest route everywhere else.
• No college email? Prepare dated proof. GitHub accepts a student ID, transcript, enrollment letter or class schedule that shows your name, your college and a current date. SheerID, which Google, Figma and others use, accepts a school ID card with an expiry date, a class schedule, a tuition or registration receipt, a transcript or an official letter. In India a bonafide certificate works as the enrollment letter.
• Know what usually fails. Undated ID cards, screenshots of emails, and admission letters for a future term do not prove current enrollment.
• Match the details. Type your name and college exactly as they appear on the document, and submit one sharp photo where all three details are readable. A logo alone is not enough.
• For GitHub, allow location and turn off your VPN. GitHub checks where you apply from, so applying from campus or on mobile data helps.
• Do not retry blindly. Some flows limit attempts. Fix the document first, then contact the provider's support instead of resubmitting the same file.
• Claim only what you qualify for. Providers can deactivate accounts that break program rules, and several student licenses forbid commercial work.

Code and cloud

Developer tools and cloud credit for verified students.

GitHub Student Developer Pack

Label: Student-free

What you get. GitHub Pro features, Codespaces and dozens of partner offers while you stay verified. Benefits usually activate within about 72 hours of approval.

What you need, and the catch. Needs a school email on your GitHub account, or a dated ID, transcript, enrollment letter or class schedule showing your name and college. Allow location access and turn off any VPN. In March 2026 students moved to a smaller Copilot Student plan, and GitHub's FAQ says new Copilot Student activations are paused.

Official page: education.github.com/pack

JetBrains Student License

Label: Student-free

What you get. Free educational license for the JetBrains desktop IDEs, including IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate, PyCharm, WebStorm and CLion.

What you need, and the catch. Non-commercial learning use only. Renew each year while you study. You can apply with a college email, an ISIC or ITIC card, a GitHub Student Developer Pack account, or a copy of your student ID.

Official page: jetbrains.com/community/education

Azure for Students

Label: Student-free

What you get. USD 100 of Azure credit valid for 12 months, plus free services. No credit card at sign-up.

What you need, and the catch. One Azure for Students subscription per person. The credit cannot be used for Azure Marketplace offers. After 12 months you can sign up again while you are still a student.

Official page: azure.microsoft.com/free/students

AWS Student Rewards

Label: Student-free

What you get. Twelve months of premium AWS Skill Builder, plus AWS credits and a certification exam voucher that you unlock by earning Builder badges.

What you need, and the catch. Launched 20 August 2026 on AWS Builder Center. As reported at launch: USD 10 in credits at 7 badges, another USD 20 at 14 badges, and a USD 100 exam voucher at 21. Confirm country eligibility on the page.

Official page: builder.aws.com

AI and productivity

Assistants, docs and notes.

Google AI Plus (Gemini for Students)

Label: Student-free

What you get. One year of Google AI Plus at no cost for eligible college students in India. Students in the US get Google AI Pro instead.

What you need, and the catch. Redeem by 31 December 2026. Verification runs through SheerID and you must be 18 or older. You may be asked for a payment method, and it renews at the paid price after the free year unless you cancel, so set a reminder. India terms are as reported by press in September 2026; confirm on the page.

Official page: gemini.google/students

Microsoft 365 Education

Label: Via college

What you get. Web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Teams with 1 TB of OneDrive. Desktop apps depend on what your school licenses.

What you need, and the catch. Works only if your school takes part and your email domain is recognised. If sign-up says you are not eligible, ask your college IT desk.

Official page: microsoft.com/education/products/office

Notion Education Plus

Label: Student-free

What you get. A free Plus plan for individual students and educators on a one-member workspace.

What you need, and the catch. Your account must use a school email that Notion recognises. In Settings choose Upgrade plan, then Get free Education plan. If the option is missing, ask Notion support to add your college domain.

Official page: notion.com/product/notion-for-education

Design and video

For projects, portfolios and your channel.

Figma Education

Label: Student-free

What you get. Free Professional-plan features (Figma Design, FigJam, Slides, Dev Mode) for verified higher-education students.

What you need, and the catch. It is a team plan: create or upgrade a team to the Education plan after approval. Changing your account email revokes the status. Re-verify when it expires. Colleges that issue no email make the verification step harder, so keep a dated school document ready.

Official page: figma.com/education

Canva for Education

Label: Via college

What you get. Canva for Education is free for K-12 teachers and students. College and university students are not eligible on their own.

What you need, and the catch. If your college has signed up for Canva for Campus you can get institution-managed premium access. Otherwise use Canva Free or pay for Pro.

Official page: canva.com/education

Adobe Creative Cloud

Label: Discount

What you get. Student and teacher pricing on Creative Cloud Pro. Adobe India lists ₹638.38 a month including GST for the first year (annual plan, billed monthly), then ₹1,516.30 a month.

What you need, and the catch. This is about 70 percent off, not a free plan. Adobe lists a 7-day free trial. Prices change often, so confirm on the page before you pay.

Official page: adobe.com/in/creativecloud/buy/students

DaVinci Resolve (free version)

Label: Always free

What you get. The free version has no watermark and no time limit, and includes editing, colour grading, Fusion effects and Fairlight audio.

What you need, and the catch. Output is capped at UHD 3840x2160 and the Studio-only AI tools are missing. Studio is a one-time purchase of about USD 295.

Official page: blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve

Learning and career

Courses and certificates from known names.

NPTEL on SWAYAM

Label: Always free

What you get. Free enrolment in courses from the IITs and IISc through the SWAYAM portal. Two semesters a year, January and July.

What you need, and the catch. Only the proctored certification exam carries a fee, roughly ₹500 to ₹1,000 depending on the course, with waivers for some categories. Use one email for every enrolment and exam registration.

Official page: nptel.ac.in

Cisco Networking Academy

Label: Always free

What you get. Free self-paced online courses in networking, cybersecurity and programming on NetAcad.

What you need, and the catch. NetAcad states that self-paced classes are free. Instructor-led classes are priced by the school or institution that runs them. Check each course page for certificate and exam terms.

Official page: netacad.com

Coursera for Campus

Label: Via college

What you get. Free access to a course catalogue and certificates when your institution runs a Coursera for Campus programme.

What you need, and the catch. Varies by college, and some colleges cap how many courses you can take at once. Ask your library, T&P cell or training department. Without a college programme you will see Coursera's normal paid plans.

Official page: coursera.org

LinkedIn Learning

Label: Via college

What you get. Courses from industry experts when your institution or library provides access.

What you need, and the catch. Without institutional access only a trial and paid plans apply.

Official page: linkedin.com/learning

ECE, VLSI and embedded

Circuits, PCB, FPGA and simulation.

Autodesk Education (Fusion, AutoCAD)

Label: Student-free

What you get. Free one-year, single-user access to Autodesk software for educational use, renewable each year while you are eligible. The list includes Fusion, AutoCAD and AutoCAD Electrical.

What you need, and the catch. Open to post-secondary students aged 18 or older at qualified institutions. Educational use only.

Official page: autodesk.com/in/education

MATLAB and Simulink

Label: Via college

What you get. A Campus-Wide License gives a college's students MATLAB and Simulink on any device. MATLAB Onramp is a free two-hour tutorial.

What you need, and the catch. Create a MathWorks account with your college email to see whether your college has a license. Without one, MATLAB Online (basic) is free for 20 hours a month with a smaller product set.

Official page: mathworks.com/academia/students

Altium Designer student license

Label: Student-free

What you get. A free academic license of the current Altium Designer through the Altium Education programme, renewable while you are a student.

What you need, and the catch. Applications can take a day or two. Domains that do not end in .edu may not be approved automatically, in which case contact Altium support. Personal, educational use only.

Official page: altium.com/education/students

AMD Vivado ML Standard

Label: Always free

What you get. Free edition of AMD's FPGA design suite, enough for smaller devices such as some Artix-7 boards.

What you need, and the catch. Needs a free AMD account. The download is large, and bigger devices need a paid license.

Official page: xilinx.com/support/download

Quartus Prime Lite (Altera)

Label: Always free

What you get. Free download with no license file required, aimed at Intel's high-volume FPGA device families.

What you need, and the catch. Needs a free account to download. The newest device families need the paid Standard or Pro editions.

Official page: altera.com

Wokwi

Label: Always free

What you get. Browser simulator for Arduino, ESP32 and Raspberry Pi Pico. The free plan has unlimited simulations and virtual WiFi.

What you need, and the catch. Free-plan projects are public. Private projects and custom libraries need a paid plan, from about USD 7 a month.

Official page: wokwi.com

LTspice

Label: Always free

What you get. Free SPICE simulator, schematic capture and waveform viewer from Analog Devices.

What you need, and the catch. Builds are available for Windows and macOS.

Official page: analog.com/ltspice

KiCad

Label: Always free

What you get. Open-source schematic capture and PCB design suite.

What you need, and the catch. Licensed under the GNU GPL and runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. A good first step before a paid PCB tool.

Official page: kicad.org

Checked and not free

Claims that circulate often. Entries marked "reported" come from press or tracker pages, so confirm on the provider's page.

• GitHub Copilot Pro for students (Paused). Students moved to a smaller Copilot Student plan in March 2026. GitHub's FAQ says new activations are paused, with no end date given. GitHub Education FAQ
• Google AI Pro offer for India (2025) (Ended). The original India sign-up closed in September 2025. The current India offer is Google AI Plus. gemini.google/students
• Canva Pro for college students (Not individual). Canva for Education covers K-12. College students get Pro only through a Canva for Campus deal. canva.com/education
• Adobe Creative Cloud (Discount). Student pricing is about 70 percent off, not free. adobe.com/in/creativecloud/buy/students
• CapCut Pro (No universal plan). No standing student Pro plan found. Some partner universities in CapCut's Creative Campus programme are reported to get Pro. capcut.com/education
• Perplexity Education Pro (Reported changed). Reported September 2026: the free year has closed and a discounted student plan remains. Confirm the price on the page. perplexity.ai
• Cursor Pro student year (Reported ended). Two September 2026 trackers report the free student year has ended. Confirm on the page. cursor.com/students
• ChatGPT Plus student offer (Reported US-only). Reported September 2026 as limited to US students. Check regional offers on the page. chatgpt.com

Claim in this order

1. GitHub Student Pack. Verify first. JetBrains accepts it as proof too.
2. College-email tools. Azure, Notion, Microsoft 365, Altium and MATLAB.
3. SheerID tools. Google AI Plus before 31 December, and Figma Education.
4. Set reminders. Renewals fall at 12 months. Google AI Plus bills after year one.

Renewals to put in your calendar

Offer	Length	What to do
Azure for Students	12 months	Sign up again while still a student.
Google AI Plus	12 months	Cancel before the free year ends, or it bills you.
AWS Skill Builder Premium	12 months	Use the badges and voucher inside the year.
JetBrains	1 year	Use the renewal link in your JetBrains account.
Autodesk Education	1 year	Renew from your Autodesk account while eligible.
Figma Education	Until it expires	Re-verify when Figma asks.
Altium Designer	Until it expires	Re-apply through Altium Education.
GitHub Student Pack	About 2 years	Re-verification is requested at the end.

Common problems and fixes

School not found or not eligible. Type the college name exactl