AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
What is GitHub Copilot Student?
Up to $120 in GitHub credits sits in the catalogue beside GitHub Copilot Student, a free plan with unlimited code completions for verified students.
The plan is priced at free and gives access to Copilot features without a card. The perk card shows who qualifies and how to claim, so this article sticks to what the plan does. AI Perks also tracks more student offers beyond GitHub, and the table further down lists the biggest ones.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
What does the Student plan include?
The plan includes unlimited code completions and an allowance of GitHub AI Credits. It also gives limited chat and agent usage, with models available through auto model selection only. Third-party agents are excluded.
GitHub publishes no number for the credit allowance on Student or Free, only that one exists. The figures it does publish are for the paid plans. Treat the allowance as a monthly buffer, not a fixed budget you can plan around.
Every Copilot plan also includes Copilot CLI and the Copilot app, so students get the terminal tool and the app too.
Student vs Free: what is the difference?
Both plans cost nothing and both use auto model selection only. The clearest gap is completions: Free caps inline code completions at 2000 per month, while Student has no cap.
| Feature | Copilot Student | Copilot Free |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Code completions | Unlimited | 2000 per month |
| AI credit allowance | Included | Included |
| Agents | Excludes third-party agents | Limited |
| Model selection | Auto only | Auto only |
Copilot Free is only for individual developers without Copilot access through an organization or enterprise. Free users keep Copilot Chat on GitHub.com and GitHub Mobile, and need a paid plan for Copilot in the cloud. Copilot Chat skills in IDEs are not available on Free.
If you are comparing the two, the GitHub credits card is the place to confirm which route applies to you.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Which models can students use?
Students cannot pick a model by hand. Since June 24, 2026, auto is the default and only model selection experience on Free and Student.
Auto picks the best model for each task, so there is nothing to choose between. It draws on several model families, subject to plan restrictions. GitHub is also retiring the (Preview) label from Microsoft-released models as part of the same simplification.
In practice, this suits most coursework: you write, ask, and let Copilot route the request. Premium models are a paid-plan feature, covered next.
What happens when you outgrow the free plan?
The upgrade path from the free plans is paid: Copilot Pro, Copilot Pro+ and Copilot Max. Pro is $10 per month and is free for some users. Pro+ is $39 per month, which is $29 more than Pro ($39 - $10 = $29).
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Student | Free | Unlimited completions, credit allowance, auto models only |
| Free | Free | 2000 completions per month, credit allowance |
| Pro | $10 per month (free for some users) | Unlimited completions, a selection of models, cloud agent, monthly credit allowance |
| Pro+ | $39 per month | Everything in Pro, a higher credit allowance, premium models |
Educators have a route too. Verified teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects may be eligible for free Copilot Pro.
Billing on paid tiers is changing, which is covered in GitHub Copilot Moving to Usage-Based Billing. Read it before you budget for an upgrade.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Which related student credits are in the catalogue?
Copilot is one piece of a student toolkit. The catalogue lists three more student perks with real dollar amounts, each with its own card.
| Company | Free credits | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub (students) | Up to $120 | Get this perk |
| JetBrains (students) | $199 | Get this perk |
| OpenAI Codex (students) | $100 | Get this perk |
| Replit (students) | $120 | Get this perk |
Total: up to $539 in student credits across four cards ($120 + $199 + $100 + $120).
Each card shows who qualifies and how to claim, so you can check fit before you spend time on any of them. For a wider comparison, see Free AI Credits for Students 2026 and AI Student Discount 2026.
How do you get started? Step by step
Step 1: Get credits via AI Perks. Open the student perks at getaiperks.com and filter for student and education cards. Everything is in one place, so you do not have to hunt through vendor sites.
Step 2: Open the GitHub card. Read the GitHub card to see who qualifies and how to claim. It is where you sign up and start.
Step 3: Add an editor or coding credit. Pair Copilot with $199 in JetBrains credits or $100 in OpenAI Codex credits, depending on your workflow.
Step 4: Cover app building. If you build and deploy projects, the $120 in Replit credits card is the one to open.
Step 5: Plan the exit. Know that Pro at $10 per month is the next step up from the free plans. For the wider bundle around Copilot, read GitHub Student Developer Pack 2026 and GitHub Education 2026.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
FAQ
Is GitHub Copilot free for students?
Yes. Copilot Student is priced at free and is available to verified students. It includes unlimited code completions and an allowance of GitHub AI Credits. Who qualifies and how to claim are shown on the GitHub perk card, which is the best place to start.
How is Copilot Student different from Copilot Free?
Both are free and use auto model selection only. The main difference is completions: Student is unlimited, while Free is limited to 2000 per month. Student also excludes third-party agents, while Free offers limited agents. Free is only for individuals without Copilot through an organization.
Can students choose which model Copilot uses?
No. On Student and Free, access to models is through auto model selection only, and since June 24, 2026 it is the default and only experience. Auto picks the best model for each task across several model families, subject to plan restrictions.
How big is the AI credit allowance?
GitHub does not publish a number for the Student or Free allowance, only that one is included. The published figures are for paid plans. To compare the dollar value of student perks that do list amounts, browse the student cards at getaiperks.com.
Do teachers get anything?
Verified teachers, and maintainers of popular open source projects, may be eligible for free access to Copilot Pro, which otherwise costs $10 per month. Eligibility details are not covered here. Check the related GitHub Education article linked above for the educator side.
What other student credits can I add?
The catalogue lists up to $120 for GitHub, $199 for JetBrains, $100 for OpenAI Codex and $120 for Replit. That is $120 + $199 + $100 + $120 = up to $539 in total. Each card shows who qualifies. Browse them all at getaiperks.com.
Ready to claim your student credits?
Copilot Student covers completions and a credit allowance at no cost, and the related student perks add editor, coding and hosting credits on top. Open the cards, check who qualifies, and claim what fits.
Get free AI credits at getaiperks.com →
Find every student and education perk, with amounts and claim details, at getaiperks.com.
