Students can get these 4 expensive apps for free

Published Aug 10, 2026, 5:06 PM EDT Rich Hein is a veteran technology journalist with more than two decades covering developer, consumer and enterprise topics. Rich's career has been dedicated to service journalism, connecting readers to content that informs and delights. Previously, Rich was vice president and editor-in-chief for Simpler Media Group, director of audience development for IDG and editor/writer for sites like CIO.com, ComputerWorld, CodeGuru and other tech-centric publications. He's received numerous accolades, including the IDG Summit and Azbee awards and has been covered by Medium for his work in audience development. When not at his desk, Rich lives in Daytona Beach with his wife and three dogs. He enjoys playing guitar, surfing and staying abreast of the latest in tech. Back-to-school season is here, and getting ready for another semester can get expensive fast. Tuition and books are only part of the equation. You may also need a laptop, accessories, school supplies, and software for writing papers, creating projects, designing presentations, or completing coursework. All those costs add up quickly, so saving money wherever you can matters. One easy place to start is software. Many students can get access to professional software suites for free simply because they're enrolled in school. Depending on what you're studying, that can include productivity apps, design tools, programming software, and other programs that would normally cost hundreds of dollars. Before you start paying for software this semester, these are four free options worth checking first. Microsoft 365 gives you Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Eligible students can get the core Office apps for free Microsoft 365 is one of the most used software suites today. Word handles papers and other documents, Excel is useful for spreadsheets and data, and PowerPoint is still one of the standard tools for building presentations. Microsoft 365 also includes other apps and services, but those three alone cover a lot of what students need for everyday schoolwork. Normally, getting versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint isn't cheap. Microsoft currently charges $179.99 for a one-time Office Home 2024 license, while Microsoft 365 is also available through paid subscriptions. Students at eligible schools, however, can get Office 365 A1 for free. Microsoft says you need to be a student at a qualifying educational institution and have an eligible school email address. There is one catch worth sharing. The free A1 plan primarily gives students access to the web versions of apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint rather than automatically giving everyone the full desktop versions. What you actually receive can also depend on the Microsoft 365 plan that your school provides. Students can get the Professional plan for free Figma is a design and prototyping platform used to create websites, app interfaces, wireframes, and more. It also includes FigJam for whiteboarding and collaboration, which is useful for group projects and planning. Figma has a free Starter plan, but its Professional plan normally costs $16 per month for a full seat and adds features such as unlimited files, projects, and version history. Eligible higher-education students can get the Professional plan for free through Figma for Education, while eligible high-school students can qualify for the Enterprise plan. To get access, you'll need to create a Figma account and verify that you're a student at an eligible school. JetBrains gives you its professional coding software Students can get the full suite for free JetBrains makes professional development tools for a wide range of programming languages. Its lineup includes IntelliJ IDEA for Java, PyCharm for Python, WebStorm for JavaScript and TypeScript, Rider for .NET, and several other specialized IDEs. These are full development environments rather than stripped-down student tools. They're widely used by professional developers. Normally, buying access to the full JetBrains suite means paying for its All Products Pack, which bundles its professional IDEs into one subscription. JetBrains' pricing varies depending on the subscription and whether you're buying as an individual or organization. The full suite normally costs hundreds of dollars per year. Students at accredited schools can get JetBrains' professional tools for free after verifying their eligibility. JetBrains accepts a school-issued email address or an ISIC card for verification, and the free license can be renewed each year as long as you remain eligible. Autodesk provides access to AutoCAD, Maya, and more Students can get software that normally costs thousands per year for free Autodesk makes professional software used in engineering, architecture, manufacturing, animation, and 3D design. AutoCAD is one of the best-known tools for computer-aided design, while Maya is widely used for 3D modeling, animation, and visual effects. Autodesk also offers a much larger catalog of specialized software. Which Autodesk apps are useful will depend on what you're studying. Engineering and architecture students may need AutoCAD, Revit, or Fusion, while animation and visual effects students may use Maya or 3ds Max. The education plan includes access to a broad range of Autodesk software, not just one app. The savings here can be big. AutoCAD normally costs $2,095 per year, while Maya costs $2,010 per year. Other Autodesk products cost even more, including Revit at $3,005 per year. Eligible students can get one year of free access to Autodesk software through its Education plan, and that access can be renewed each year as long as they remain eligible. To qualify, you'll need to be enrolled at a qualifying educational institution and verify your student status. Check your eligibility before you buy Your student status may be worth more than you realize. Before paying for software you need, check whether the company offers an education program and whether your school qualifies. A few minutes spent verifying your eligibility could save you hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars over the course of a school year.