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 do students get with Visual Studio for free?
Students can start with a $2,500 Visual Studio perk in the AI Perks catalogue, on top of the free Community edition and Dev Essentials. The perk card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Microsoft's public offer is wider than one download. Visual Studio Community is described as a free, fully-featured IDE for students, open-source and individual developers. Signing in to it unlocks Dev Essentials, a bundle of free tools, training and Azure credit.
AI Perks tracks more student offers beyond Microsoft's, so you can compare them in one place instead of hunting through vendor pages.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Visual Studio $2,500
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Is Visual Studio Community really free for students?
Yes, and the licence is more generous than most people expect. Any individual developer can use Visual Studio Community to create their own free or paid apps. Licensing guidance says it covers education use and teams of 5 or fewer developers.
The limits start when an organization is involved. In non-enterprise organizations, up to five users can use Community. In enterprise organizations (more than 250 PCs or more than $1 million in annual revenue), use is limited to open source, academic research and classroom learning.
For a student working alone or in a classroom, that means no paywall. Check the licence before you build something for an employer.
What does Visual Studio Dev Essentials include?
Dev Essentials is a free program that bundles developer tools and services, Azure credit and downloads. It is not a cut-down paid subscription. Microsoft says it stands on its own as a free program for developers of all kinds.
Signing in to Community also gives you selected Xamarin University courses on demand and Pluralsight training. The developer tools include Visual Studio Community and Visual Studio Code, for building apps on macOS, Linux and Windows. Some benefits are exclusive to the program.
| Dev Essentials item | What Microsoft says |
|---|---|
| Azure Free Account | 1 year of free services and $200 credit for the 1st month |
| Developer tools | Visual Studio Community and Visual Studio Code |
| Training | Selected Xamarin University courses, Pluralsight training |
| Price | Free |
The Visual Studio card in the catalogue is the place to see how this fits with the $2,500 perk and how to claim it.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Visual Studio $2,500
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
What happened to Azure Dev Tools for Teaching?
Azure Dev Tools for Teaching gave students developer tools at no cost, covering what they need to create apps, games and websites. It is available in more than 140 countries and regions where Azure is commercially available. But it has been closed to new customers since August 2025, and the sign-up deadline of 15 August 2025 has passed.
Existing customers are not cut off immediately. Microsoft says current customers keep access and benefits for 3 years, and the administrator of an existing Dev Tools for Teaching subscription receives a Visual Studio Subscription.
If you are a new student, the practical route is Community, Dev Essentials and Azure for Students, covered below. Students who already have access keep these rules:
- Access depends on the subscription being current and active.
- Software downloaded through the program can be used without limit for learning and research.
- Students generally cannot sell apps and products made with that program's software.
- Students sign in to the Azure portal with the credentials they use for their Imagine subscription.
How does Azure for Students fit in?
Azure for Students is the cloud side of the offer. It is free with no credit card required and comes with a $100 credit. Microsoft's students page promotes the same $100 credit when you create your free account.
It also includes Azure DevOps for 5 users with unlimited private Git repos. There is a limit of one account per person. After you create the account, you download the free tools from the Azure Education Hub.
The $100 Azure credit for students has its own card, which shows who qualifies and how to claim.
| Offer | Headline value | Credit card needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Studio Community | Free IDE | No |
| Dev Essentials | $200 credit for the 1st month, 1 year of free services | Not stated by Microsoft |
| Azure for Students | $100 credit | No |
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Visual Studio $2,500
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Which student perks pair well with Visual Studio?
Visual Studio is one piece of a student toolkit. The catalogue lists three more student perks that sit alongside it, each with its own card.
| Company | Free credits | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Studio | $2,500 | Get this perk |
| GitHub (students) | Up to $120 | Get this perk |
| JetBrains (students) | $199 | Get this perk |
| Microsoft Azure (students) | $100 | Get this perk |
Total: $2,500 + $120 + $199 + $100 = $2,919 in catalogue value, with the GitHub amount as an upper limit.
For a closer look at the GitHub side, read GitHub Student Developer Pack 2026: What Is Inside. To compare against AI-specific offers, see Free AI Credits for Students 2026: Every Program Compared.
How do you get started step by step?
- Get credits via AI Perks. Open getaiperks.com, find the Visual Studio card and the other student cards, and read who qualifies and how to claim on each one.
- Install Visual Studio Community and sign in. Signing in unlocks Dev Essentials benefits, including Pluralsight training and Azure credit.
- Create an Azure for Students account. No credit card is needed, the credit is $100, and each person can have one account.
- Download the free tools from the Azure Education Hub once the account exists.
- Add the GitHub and JetBrains cards from the table above, so your editor, repos and cloud credit all come from student offers.
- Read the licence before you sell anything. Community lets individuals build free or paid apps, but software from Dev Tools for Teaching generally cannot be used to sell apps and products.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Visual Studio $2,500
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
FAQ
Is Visual Studio free for students?
Yes. Visual Studio Community is a free, fully-featured IDE for students, and any individual developer can use it for free or paid apps. The Visual Studio card in the catalogue lists a $2,500 perk and shows who qualifies and how to claim it.
Is there a Visual Studio Enterprise edition for students?
Microsoft's public pages describe Community as the free IDE for students. The Dev Tools for Teaching program is closed to new customers, while existing customers keep access for 3 years. Browse getaiperks.com to see the current Visual Studio perk and its amount.
What is Visual Studio Dev Essentials?
It is a free program of developer tools and services, Azure credit and downloads, and it stands on its own rather than being a cut-down paid subscription. It includes an Azure Free Account with 1 year of free services and $200 credit for the 1st month, plus Visual Studio Community and Visual Studio Code.
Do I need a credit card for Azure for Students?
No. Azure for Students is free, needs no credit card, and comes with a $100 credit. There is a limit of one account per person. The Azure student card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Can I sell apps I build as a student?
It depends on the software. Any individual developer can use Visual Studio Community to create free or paid apps. Students generally cannot sell apps made with Azure Dev Tools for Teaching software. Check each licence, and see more student offers at getaiperks.com.
Can new students still join Azure Dev Tools for Teaching?
No. It has been closed to new customers since August 2025, and the sign-up deadline of 15 August 2025 has passed. Existing customers keep access and benefits for 3 years. New students should use Community, Dev Essentials and Azure for Students instead.
Ready to claim your student perks?
The Microsoft route is free, but it is only part of what students can stack. Open the Visual Studio, Azure, GitHub and JetBrains cards, compare the amounts, and claim what fits your course.
Get free AI credits at getaiperks.com →
Browse every student and education perk, and the rest of the catalogue, at getaiperks.com.
