Google Offers Free Year of Gemini to College Students

Google announced on 15 September 2026 that it will offer eligible U.S. college students one year of its Google AI Pro plan for free. The Google AI Pro plan, priced at US$19.99 per month (RM97.99 in Malaysia), is a subscription tier that provides 4x higher usage limits in Gemini, access to Gemini Spark, Gemini integrations in Google apps, 5TB of cloud storage, Google Health Premium, and additional features.

Key Facts

This section presents the verified specifications and quantitative details of Google's 2026 student offer for Gemini AI plans, as reported by Lowyat.NET.

**Google offers two distinct free plans for students: the U.S. receives the higher-tier AI Pro plan, while international students receive the leaner AI Plus plan for the same one-year duration.**

What Is the Google Student Offer?

The Google student offer is a promotional campaign launched in September 2026 that grants eligible college students a free one-year subscription to Google's AI plans. It solves the cost barrier for students who want access to premium AI features for study assistance.

According to the announcement, students in the U.S. receive the Google AI Pro plan free for one year. Students outside the U.S. are also eligible to apply, but they will only receive a Google AI Plus plan for a year instead. Google described the AI Plus as a leaner version of the AI Pro plan, noting that it costs RM23.99 a month. While students outside the U.S. seem to be getting the shorter end of the stick, there appears to be a catch that applies to both regions.

**The regional difference between Google AI Pro and Google AI Plus is defined by cloud storage allocation and Gemini usage limits, with the U.S. offer providing 5TB of storage and the international offer providing 400GB.

How Does the Study Notebooks Feature Work?

Google's "study notebooks" feature is a teaching tool within the Gemini app that debuted in June 2026, and it helps students understand their course material through a step-by-step learning process.

Students first upload their own class materials to the feature. Then, Gemini sets up a "gameplan" that breaks down the topics into more manageable materials. Users have the option to take a diagnostic quiz to identify their knowledge gaps, which allows the system to create custom, bite-sized lessons and quizzes for them. Google said it will update the study notebooks to include graphs and images as part of lesson plans. Furthermore, Gemini can provide a schedule of key dates like exams and due dates in Google Calendar from the uploaded syllabus, but only if the user allows it.

**The study notebooks feature analyzes uploaded class materials to generate a learning "gameplan" with diagnostic quizzes and automatic calendar scheduling for academic deadlines.

How Does the Student Hub Work in Gemini?

The Student Hub is a feature built within the Gemini app that helps students stay organized, create flashcards, create a "study notebook," and take practice tests, launched in conjunction with the free AI subscription announcement.

Google stated that this new student hub feature will receive more tools in the future, but the company did not elaborate on what those tools will be. This feature is separate from the study notebooks tool, though both are designed to enhance academic productivity through the Gemini app.

**The Gemini Student Hub centralizes academic organization by enabling flashcard creation, practice tests, and organized study notebooks within a single mobile interface.

What Is the Renewal Policy for the Student AI Plan?

Plans like this will automatically renew at full price once the one-year free subscription has passed, according to Engadget's reporting on the policy.

If college student consumers do not want to get charged, it is best to set a reminder ahead of time. This renewal policy applies to both the U.S. and international offers. The tech giant is also offering Google AI Pro and a YouTube Premium subscription in a heavily discounted bundle that is up to 70% off.

Plans like this will automatically renew at full price once the one-year free subscription has passed.

— Engadget, via Lowyat.NET

**Students who accept the free year of Google AI must cancel before the subscription renewal date to avoid automatic charges at the full monthly price.

Common Questions

Can I get the Google AI free offer as a student outside the U.S.?

Yes, eligible college students outside the U.S. can apply and will receive a Google AI Plus plan for a year instead of the AI Pro plan. This international plan includes Gemini Omni and 400GB of storage.

What happens after the free one-year Gemini AI subscription ends?

The plan will automatically renew at full price once the one-year free subscription has passed. The full price for AI Pro is US$19.99 per month.

Which Gemini AI plan does the US student offer include?

Eligible college students within the U.S. receive one year of Google AI Pro for free. This plan costs US$19.99 a month and includes 4x higher usage limits in Gemini and 5TB of cloud storage.

Sources and Methodology

This article is based on the original reporting published by Lowyat.NET on September 15, 2026, titled "Google Offers Free Year of Gemini to College Students" and includes references from the Google Blog and Engadget. Information regarding currency conversions was preserved from the original source (US$19.99 monthly; RM97.99 in Malaysia). Direct quotes are attributed verbatim to the original reporting. This article was last updated on September 15, 2026.