Google has resumed its one-year free Gemini offer for college and graduate students as the 2026 school year gets under way. We confirmed this on its official blog (posted August 19, 2026).
The news spread on X through a post quoting the official @GeminiApp post.
Pro in the US, free Plus in 140 countries
US students get Google AI Pro, normally $19.99 a month, free for one year. It includes Gemini 2.5 Pro, Deep Research, expanded NotebookLM features, the Veo 3 video generator, the coding agent Jules, and 5TB of storage.
Students in more than 140 countries outside the US get the tier one step down, Google AI Plus, free for one year. It includes Gemini Omni, 400GB of storage, and 2x higher usage limits. Last year, students outside the US also got the Pro tier, but this year it was adjusted to Plus.
Students in South Korea are eligible too
The only excluded countries Google names on its official blog are six: Bolivia, Albania, Canada, Macao, Hong Kong, and Tunisia. South Korea isn't on that list, so it's confirmed to be among the 140-plus countries.
That means college and graduate students in South Korea can apply for Google AI Plus free for one year. The student verification step (SheerID) at sign-up may require proof of enrollment.
Deadline is December 31, and a payment method is required
You can apply at gemini.google.com/students or one.google.com/ai-student through December 31, 2026. When the free period ends, it automatically converts to a paid plan unless you cancel.
The application process requires registering a valid payment method. That means you can't skip entering payment details just because it's free.