Cursor Student Discount 2026:
Get a Free Year of Pro ($240 Value)
If you are a student, do not pay for Cursor. Cursor offers one full year of Pro completely free when you verify with a school email or student ID. That is $240 in value with every Pro feature included. Here is exactly how to get it and what to watch out for.
What You Get
12 Months Free
A full year of Cursor Pro at no cost. Worth $240 at monthly rates or $192 at annual rates.
$20 Monthly Credit Pool
The same credit pool as paying Pro subscribers. Spend it on Claude Sonnet, GPT-4o, Gemini, or any frontier model.
Unlimited Auto Mode
Auto mode lets Cursor pick the best model for each task. It is unlimited and does not drain your credit pool.
All Frontier Models
Access to Claude Sonnet 4.6, GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and more. Choose the best model for each task.
Composer & Cloud Agents
Multi-file editing with Composer and background task processing with cloud agents. The same tools professionals use.
BYOK Support
Bring your own API keys for overflow. If your $20 pool runs out, use your own Anthropic or OpenAI key for additional requests.
$0
for 12 months of Cursor Pro (normally $240)
How to Get It: Step by Step
Create a Cursor Account
Download Cursor from cursor.com and create an account. You can use any email address for the account itself.
Navigate to Student Pricing
Go to Cursor Settings, then Subscription, and click the Student option. Alternatively, visit cursor.com/students directly.
Verify Your Student Status
Enter your school email (.edu, .ac.uk, .edu.in, or similar). For recognised institutions, verification is instant. Otherwise, upload a student ID card or tuition receipt.
Enjoy 12 Months of Pro
Once verified, Pro activates immediately for 12 months. You get every Pro feature including the $20 credit pool, unlimited Auto mode, and all frontier models.
Set a Renewal Reminder
Set a calendar reminder for 11 months from activation. After the free year, Cursor auto-renews at $20 per month. Decide in advance whether to continue or switch to the free tier.
Important Warnings
Auto-Renewal at $20/Month
This is the single most important thing to know: after your free year ends, Cursor automatically starts charging $20 per month to the payment method on file. There is no grace period and no second free year. Set a calendar reminder for 11 months after activation to decide whether you want to continue paying, switch to annual billing for the 20% discount, or downgrade to the free Hobby tier.
One Discount Per Person
The student discount is limited to one free year per person, not per email or per institution. If you use it once, you cannot get it again even if you transfer schools, start a graduate program, or create a new account. Cursor uses identity verification to enforce this limit.
Must Be Currently Enrolled
You need to be a current student at the time of verification. Alumni emails from graduated students do not qualify unless they are still associated with active enrollment. If you are about to graduate, apply for the discount before your student status expires.
Payment Method Required
Even though the first year is free, Cursor may require a payment method on file for the student discount (for the auto-renewal). If this is a concern, consider using a virtual card or prepaid card that you can control. Some students use privacy.com or similar services for this purpose.
What If You Do Not Have a .edu Email?
Not all schools provide .edu email addresses, and some international institutions use non-standard domains. If instant email verification does not work, Cursor offers manual verification:
- Student ID card: Upload a clear photo of your student ID showing your name, institution, and current date or expiry date.
- Tuition receipt: Upload a recent tuition payment receipt or enrollment confirmation letter showing current enrollment.
- Enrollment verification: Some students use their university's enrollment verification service to generate an official letter.
Manual verification typically takes 1 to 3 business days. Once approved, the 12-month free period starts from the approval date.
After Your Free Year: Three Options
Option 1: Stay on Pro
$20/mo
If you are now working professionally and Cursor has become essential to your workflow, paying $20 per month is a reasonable investment. Switch to annual billing for $16 per month (20% savings). At any professional developer rate, the ROI is positive within the first day of each month.
Option 2: Switch to Hobby
Free
Downgrade to the Hobby free tier before your renewal date. You lose the credit pool, unlimited Auto mode, and frontier model access, but you keep basic AI features. This is the right choice if you do not code enough to justify $20 per month or if you are between jobs.
Option 3: Switch Tools
Varies
Cancel Cursor and switch to a competitor. GitHub Copilot Pro at $10 per month is the budget option. Cline is free with your own API keys. Claude Code at $20 per month if you prefer terminal-based AI. Evaluate your options before the renewal hits.
Eligible Email Domains
This is not an exhaustive list. Cursor accepts academic email domains from recognised institutions worldwide. If your domain is not automatically recognised, use the manual verification option with a student ID or enrollment proof.