Claude and Cursor Student Discounts in 2026: What Actually Exists
Quick Summary
- Cursor: the student discount is closed to new sign-ups. Students can use the free plan, or watch for credits and discounts at campus events this fall.
- Claude: there is no student discount for individual plans. If your school has a campus deal, that is the cheap route. If not, the Free plan, a free lab seat if your research group gets Anthropic's plan for scientists, or Pro at the regular price.
- Cursor says it sells only through cursor.com and authorizes no resellers, so a "student" Cursor account from anywhere else is not an authorized sale.
Cursor: the student discount has ended
Cursor stopped new sign-ups for its student discount on June 25, 2026. Its help page says the program had become a target for fraud and held Cursor back from reaching students globally.
If you already redeemed it, nothing changes for now. You keep your current rate until your plan expires, and after that Pro continues at the regular $20 a month unless you cancel.
What students can still get from Cursor
- The free plan. Cursor's Hobby plan costs nothing and does not ask for a credit card. It has limited Agent requests.
- Undergraduates: Cursor says you can claim credits and discounts at on-campus and online events starting this fall. Its campus newsletter sign-up gives early notice of events.
- Master's students, PhD candidates, researchers and educators: you can fill out Cursor's credits request form. It is a request, so there is no promise of an approval.
- Campus Leads: Cursor's Campus Lead program asks current university students for about 5 hours a week of workshops and events, and its listed benefits include 6 months of Cursor Ultra. Applications open again in January.
Cursor Pro is $20 a month on the pricing page today. The details are on Cursor's own student discount page and its students page.
Claude: no student plan for individuals
Claude's pricing page lists Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. It does not list a student price for any of them.
The student route it does list is the Education plan. It is a university-wide plan for an institution, including its students, faculty and staff, so it is not something you buy yourself. When Anthropic launched it in April 2025, it named Northeastern University, the London School of Economics and Champlain College as campus-wide partners. Ask your IT help desk or library whether your school has a deal.
What students can still get from Claude
- The Free plan. It costs $0 and covers chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search and Artifacts. Claude Code is not included. It starts with Pro.
- Pro, if you need it. It is $20 a month, or $17 a month if you pay for the year up front ($200). That annual option saves $40 compared with paying monthly. Prices do not include tax and can change. If you are not sure Pro is enough, see Claude Pro vs Max.
- Student leaders: Anthropic runs a Claude campus program. Undergraduates can apply to lead a Claude Builder Club, master's students to lead Claude Campus Conversations, and PhD students and postdocs to lead Claude Science workshops. Builder Club leaders share resources such as API credits with members, and selected ambassadors get a $3,600 cash stipend, subject to program terms. Applications for the school year starting September 2026 ran September 1 to 12, and the page now says the program is closed for Fall 2026.
- Grad students in a research lab: Anthropic's Team plan for scientists is for academic and nonprofit research institutions. A verified principal investigator signs up, then can add their research team to Standard seats for free, or Premium seats for $15 a month. That pricing is promotional, availability is limited, and final pricing is confirmed after verification, so ask your lab lead.
Watch out for "student" and "free year" offers
Cursor's student discount is closed, so any page that still describes it as open is out of date. Cursor says its subscriptions are sold only through cursor.com, and that it does not authorize any resellers or third-party sellers. It warns that accounts bought elsewhere may be suspended or terminated at any time.
Before you pay anyone for a student price, check it against the company's own page. If the page does not list the deal, treat it as not on offer.
For other software you may pay for as a student, such as Parallels Desktop for running Windows on a Mac, see our software cashback guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Claude student discount?
Not for individuals. Claude's pricing page shows no student price. Some schools buy campus-wide access, so ask yours before you pay.
Is Cursor free for students?
Cursor has a free Hobby plan that anyone can use, students included. The separate student discount has been closed to new sign-ups since June 25, 2026.
Is Claude Pro free for students?
Not as an individual offer. Two routes can still help: campus-wide access, if your school has a deal, and a free Standard seat on your lab's Team plan for scientists, if your principal investigator is verified and places are still available. Ask your school or your lab lead before you pay.
I already got Cursor's student discount. What happens when it ends?
You keep your rate until your plan expires. Then Pro is the regular $20 a month unless you cancel.
Last updated: 2026-10-02. Prices are US prices from each company's own pages on that date and can change. Tenmomo has no affiliate link or cashback offer for Claude or Cursor, so none is shown here.
