Tips Before You Apply

If you’re a high school, college, or university student, including a student at an open university, you may qualify for free or discounted access to developer tools and learning resources. This series covers free student plans, limited-time offers, education discounts, and paid memberships. Eligibility and included benefits vary by provider, so each guide explains what to check before applying.

How to Use This Series

I've started with the applications I found easiest and most useful. Figma is a good place to start if you’re a higher education student: it offers a generous education plan and uses SheerID, so it’s also a useful introduction to student verification.

From there, JetBrains, Notion, Linear, and Zed are worth exploring for tools you may use while building projects. Figma, JetBrains, and Notion also keep their student offers available for as long as you're a student, as long as you renew each year, giving you generous long-term access. The GitHub Student Developer Pack also includes useful developer tools and learning resources.

Who Can Apply?

You don't usually need to study computer science to qualify. Many student offers are open to students in other fields, though eligibility varies by program. Some application forms ask for your field of study and may seem to expect a computer science background, but in my experience, this information is usually collected for statistical purposes. So far, it hasn't stopped me from qualifying.

Students at open universities and in distance-learning programs may also qualify. Check each provider’s requirements, especially those related to institutional recognition and full-time enrollment.

High school students can qualify for some programs, but age limits and available benefits vary. If your school doesn’t issue student email addresses, check which alternative documents the provider accepts.

What You'll Get

Student offers are often time-limited, and the features included vary from offer to offer.

Most tools have their own student offer that gives you access to nearly everything in a paid plan, though some features are often still unavailable. Figma and JetBrains stand out, with the most generous offers in both duration and features: their student plans include almost the same features as their paid plans. Note that some student licenses, such as JetBrains', can't be used for commercial work.

The GitHub Student Developer Pack is especially useful here. Its dozens of software and learning tools let you try many options for free and find out which ones work best for you. Once you've found a tool you'll actually use, look for discounted student offers on the provider's own website or through Student Beans.

Before paying for a discounted plan, make sure it actually covers what you need.

Which Email Address Should You Use?

Imagine signing up for dozens of apps with your student email, then losing access to it after you graduate and getting locked out of all of them. It would be a nightmare. Apart from a few exceptions, almost no tools require you to create your account with a student email.

Where possible, sign up with your personal email and use your student email only for verification. Once you've verified your student status, you can use the features included in the student plan. Depending on the provider, verification is usually done directly with your school email, through SheerID, or through your GitHub Education account.

Some education plans require your student email to remain on the account, so check before changing it. Keeping access to your account doesn't necessarily mean keeping your student benefits.

What You Need for Student Verification

Having an institution-issued student email address can make verification much easier. While .edu is commonly associated with educational institutions, academic email domains vary by country. An official student email from a recognized institution can often serve the same purpose, even if it uses a different domain ending.

If you don’t have a student email address, don’t assume you’re ineligible. Many programs also accept a student ID or other proof of current enrollment.

Check Offer Duration and Renewal Terms

Many programs offer special deals for students after the free student plan ends, so when a free period ends, check whether you qualify for a discounted student subscription. Some programs even offer post-student discounts covering your first years after graduation. Compare the renewal price as well as the initial offer, and check whether you'll need to verify your student status again.

Finding Additional Discounts

Student discounts aren’t the only way to save. You can also look for seasonal sales, such as Black Friday or Cyber Monday, regional pricing, or purchasing power parity (PPP) discounts, which adjust prices to reflect differences in purchasing power between countries.

Check whether discounts can be combined, and compare the renewal price as well as the initial offer.

If your favorite tool doesn’t advertise a student discount, or you’re looking for a better price before renewing, email the company and explain your situation. Some companies may offer an unlisted student discount or a personalized deal. If you receive an offer, check its expiration date and renewal terms.

How SheerID Verification Works

SheerID is a third-party verification service that companies use to check whether you qualify for student offers. You'll come across it often as you apply for the offers in this series.

You usually start the verification process through the company offering the discount. SheerID asks for basic information about you and your institution. If it cannot verify your status automatically, it may request documents showing your name, institution, and current enrollment.

If document verification is required, you may be asked for a current student ID, enrollment letter, class schedule, or another school-issued document showing that you’re currently enrolled.

Eligible countries, institution types, and accepted documents vary by offer. Being verified for one service does not automatically make you eligible for every other offer that uses SheerID. Follow the instructions for the specific offer you want to claim.

How eduroam Works

eduroam (education roaming) is a free Wi-Fi network for students, researchers, and staff. Once you've set it up with your school account, you can connect automatically at participating universities and research institutions around the world. Your login request is sent back to your own school, which confirms your identity, so your password stays with your institution.

The same school account often comes up during student verification. If a provider can't verify you automatically, it may redirect you to your school's login page, where you sign in with your school credentials, often the same ones you use for eduroam. Your school then confirms that you're currently enrolled. You'll see this step often throughout this series, so keep your school account active and make sure you remember your password.