How education licenses work
Most programs follow the same pattern: you prove that you are a student or teacher, you get a license for a year, and you renew it while you are still studying or teaching. JetBrains' educational license runs for one year at a time, Unity says students can keep renewing while actively enrolled, Graphisoft's Archicad license is valid for one year and can be extended until the end of your studies, and Azure for Students is renewed annually.
Some programs are set up by the school, not by you. Office 365 A1, Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, SketchUp for Schools and Adobe Express for Education reach students through a school or district account. If you cannot sign up on your own, ask your school's IT team whether it already has them.
What you need to verify
| Program | What the official page asks for |
|---|---|
| GitHub Education | Enrollment in a degree or diploma program, age 13 or older, proof like a dated school ID or transcript |
| Notion Education Plan | A school email as the main email on your account; student IDs are not accepted |
| Office 365 A1 | An eligible education email address at a qualified school |
| Archicad | A valid student or teacher ID from a public or accredited institution |
| Unity Student | Age 16 or older, enrolled at an accredited institution |
| Figma Education | Students and educators over 13 in a structured classroom; younger students through their school |
Keep your proof in one folder. You will need it again for the yearly renewal in most programs.
Commercial use and after graduation
Education licenses are for learning, and many forbid paid work. JetBrains says its educational licenses cannot be used for commercial work, and Graphisoft says the free Archicad license is for educational purposes only and adds an educational watermark to project files. Onshape's pricing page says only paid plans support private data and commercial use.
Unity is an exception: it says you can commercialize projects made with the Student plan, following its Editor terms. If you plan to freelance or sell your work, read the license of each program first and budget for a paid license after you graduate.
Free tools for students on this site
A few things on Freebiefy that help alongside the software above, all free and in your browser:
- GPA calculator and grade calculator for your current standing.
- Citation generator for reference lists.
- Markdown editor for notes and READMEs.
- Student loan calculator to plan repayments.
We opened each vendor's own education, license or help page on the date in the table. Programs whose official page we could not read were left out, and "Not stated" means the page does not say it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Office free for students?
The web versions are, through school. Microsoft says students and educators with an eligible education email address can get Office 365 A1 for free, which includes the web versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Full access to the desktop apps comes with the paid A3 plan.
Can I keep the software after I graduate?
Usually not for free. JetBrains, Unity, Archicad and Azure for Students all tie the license to your status and renew it only while you study. Plan for a paid license or a free alternative before your student status ends.
Can I use a student license for freelance or paid work?
It depends on the program. JetBrains and Archicad educational licenses are for non-commercial use only, and Onshape says only paid plans support commercial use. Unity says you can commercialize projects made with its Student plan under its Editor terms.
Do high school students qualify?
For several programs. GitHub Education accepts high school and homeschool students from 13, Solid Edge says its student edition is free from elementary school to university, and SketchUp for Schools and Adobe Express for Education are made for K-12 classrooms. University programs like Azure for Students do not.
Why are Autodesk and Canva not listed?
Their education pages could not be opened by our checker on the day we checked, and we only list programs we can confirm on the vendor's own page. Check their education pages directly if you need them.