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✓ checked Oct 20
Handshake's free year of Google AI Plus for US and Canada students ended on August 21, 2026. Google replaced it with its own student offer: US college students get a free year of Google AI Pro, and students in over 140 other markets get Google AI Plus free for a year. Canada is excluded. Google's offer must be claimed by December 31, 2026.
How to claim it
- US student? Claim Google AI Pro instead. See our
Google AI Pro student pagefor the free year. It is the higher tier and must be claimed by December 31, 2026 - Outside the US? Claim AI Plus from Google. Go to
Google's student page, verify with SheerID and add a payment method. Claim by December 31, 2026 - In Canada? No Google route right now. Google excludes Canada from its student offer.
Perplexity Education Prois a student deal that works wherever SheerID can verify your school - Claimed it via Handshake? Check your renewal. Find the renewal date in your Google Play subscriptions and cancel before it if you don't want to pay $7.99/month (US price) after the free year
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Who's eligible
Who can get the Google student discount?
Nobody can claim the Handshake offer anymore. It ended on August 21, 2026. For new claims, Google's own student offer applies: US college students 18+ get Google AI Pro free for a year, and students 18+ in over 140 other markets get Google AI Plus free for a year. Canada is excluded from Google's offer.
How long does Google student access last?
If you claimed the free year through Handshake before it closed, check the renewal date in your Google Play subscriptions. Cancel before the year ends if you don't want to continue at the standard price ($7.99/month in the US).
Is the Google student discount available worldwide?
The Handshake offer covered the US and Canada and has ended in both. Google's own student offer runs in the US (Google AI Pro) and in over 140 other markets (Google AI Plus), but not in Canada, Bolivia, Albania, Hong Kong, Macau, or Tunisia.
What's included
Handshake's free year of Google AI Plus for US and Canada students ended on August 21, 2026, and Handshake now says it is no longer available to claim. Two days earlier, Google launched its own student offer, claimed directly through Google with SheerID verification. US college students get a free year of Google AI Pro, the tier above AI Plus. Students in over 140 other markets get a free year of Google AI Plus. Canada is excluded, so Canadian students have no free Google AI plan right now. Google's offer must be claimed by December 31, 2026.
- Handshake Offer EndedHandshake closed the free year of Google AI Plus on August 21, 2026 and no longer accepts new claims.
- US Students: Free Google AI ProGoogle's own offer gives US college students 18+ a free year of Google AI Pro, which normally costs $19.99/month and includes 5 TB of storage.
- Outside the US: Free Google AI PlusStudents in over 140 other markets can claim a free year of Google AI Plus directly from Google, with SheerID verification instead of Handshake.
- Canada Is ExcludedGoogle's student offer leaves out Canada, so Canadian students lost their free route when the Handshake offer ended.
Fine print & gotchas
- Ended August 21, 2026. The Handshake offer can no longer be claimed.
- Google's replacement must be claimed by December 31, 2026. It needs SheerID verification and a payment method.
- Canada is excluded from Google's student offer, along with Bolivia, Albania, Hong Kong, Macau, and Tunisia.
- Claimed via Handshake? Cancel before your free year ends if you don't want to continue at the standard price.
Common questions
Is the Handshake Google AI Plus offer still available?
No. Handshake ended the offer on August 21, 2026, and its announcement now says it is no longer available to claim.
When did the offer end?
On August 21, 2026. Before that, Handshake had only said the offer ran "through the end of the summer."
Is there a new free Gemini offer for students?
Yes, from Google directly. Since August 19, 2026, US college students 18+ can get Google AI Pro free for a year, and students in over 140 other markets can get Google AI Plus free for a year. Both are claimed through Google with SheerID verification and must be redeemed by December 31, 2026.
Can Canadian students still get Google AI Plus free?
No. The Handshake offer was the free route for Canada, and Google's own student offer excludes Canada, along with Bolivia, Albania, Hong Kong, Macau, and Tunisia.
I claimed the free year through Handshake. What now?
Check the renewal date in your Google Play subscriptions. If you don't want to pay the standard price ($7.99/month in the US) after the free year, cancel before that date.
Can I claim Google's new offer if I used the Handshake one?
Google's terms don't mention the Handshake offer, so we can't confirm it either way. The terms do exclude family group members and anyone who has Google One through a third party such as Google Fi.
What's the difference between Google AI Plus and AI Pro?
AI Plus is Google's entry AI plan ($7.99/month in the US) with higher Gemini limits than the free tier and 400 GB of storage. AI Pro ($19.99/month in the US) has higher limits again, and Google lists 5 TB of storage for the student AI Pro plan. Google's student offer gives US students AI Pro and students elsewhere AI Plus.
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