Is GitHub Copilot free for students?

Yes. GitHub Copilot is free for verified students through the Copilot Student plan, which GitHub offers at no cost to students verified through GitHub Education.

As of November 1, 2026, GitHub’s documentation says Copilot Student includes an allowance of GitHub AI Credits, uses auto model selection only and excludes third-party agents. Like every Copilot plan, it includes Copilot CLI and the Copilot app. Paid plans add model choice: Copilot Pro costs $10 USD per month, Pro+ $39 and Max $100.

To get it, go to github.com/settings/education/benefits, apply as a student if you are not yet verified, then open the free developer resources section and follow the prompts to activate Copilot Student. GitHub reevaluates eligibility every month. Approval and activation are separate steps, and the benefit can take several days to apply. If you see only paid checkout options, GitHub advises you not to buy and to try again in a few days. Verified teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects may qualify for free Copilot Pro instead.

Related: What are the GitHub Copilot Free limits? and Copilot Pro vs Pro+: what is the difference?

Source: GitHub Docs, “Access GitHub Copilot for free as a student”; GitHub Docs, “Plans for GitHub Copilot”

Image: GitHub mark (Octicons) by GitHub, MIT license, via Wikimedia Commons. GitHub and Copilot are trademarks of GitHub, Inc. FreeAnswers is not affiliated with or endorsed by GitHub.



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