Google AI Offers Students Free Year of Pro Plan Plus Advanced Study Tools to Compete with OpenAI

Google launches new study tools for Students across Search and Gemini

Google on Wednesday announced a slew of new study tools across Search and Gemini, including AI-generated interactive visuals, 3D simulations, a decided student hub, customized practice quizzes, and more. The launch of the new study features marks Google's latest effort to make Gemini the AI assistant that students turn to when learning and studying, as it competes with companies like OpenAI and education startups such as Knowt and Gauth, which are also offering their own learning and practice tools. On Search, students can now generate custom tools and simulations to help them understand complex topics. For example, if a student is learning about pH levels, they can search for "pH scale" and get an interactive visual in an AI Overview that makes the basics easier to understand. To go even further, they can ask a follow-up question for something more specialized, like plotting citrus fruits on the pH scale, and AI Mode in Search will then create an interactive experience tailored to the question. Users can now get customized practice quizzes directly in Search on any subject, including science, math, humanities, foreign languages, and more. For example, users can enter a prompt like, "Create a quiz with the most commonly tested vocabulary words to help me prep for the SAT," and Search will then generate an interactive quiz. In the coming weeks, Lens in Search will roll out a new interactive learning experience that will help students work through problems. They can tap the "Lens" camera icon in the Google app and then upload a photo of what they're working on to get AI to explain the concept, identify potential mistakes, and provide guidance if they're stuck. Additionally, students can now ask Search to create study documents based on their uploaded files, including PDFs, docs, slides and more. For example, they can upload a photo of their handwritten notes along with lecture slides to get a one-pager that outlines key concepts. As for the new Gemini features, Google is launching a feature that lets students launch multi-step research reports in Gemini Live and then discuss the findings conversationally. Users can ask Gemini to research a topic and then close the chat or do other things while it works in the background. They'll get a notification when the report is ready and can then can discuss the findings or ask follow up questions using their voice. The tech giant also announced that Gemini can now generate functional 3D simulations to help users better understand topics, as responses will now include tables, grids, and simulations made specially for the prompt. For example, if you enter a prompt like, "show me how DNA works in 3D," you'll be able to interactively rotate and zoom into a 3D DNA structure. Google is also launching a dedicated hub in the Gemini app that brings its learning tools together in one place. Users will be able to start a study notebook, create flashcards, take practice quizzes, and more within the hub.

Google Is Now Offering 1 Free Year of Its AI Pro Plan to US College Students. Here's How to Get It

Attention, cash-strapped college students: Google is now offering one free year of its AI Pro plan, normally $19.99 per month, to those attending college in the US. Meanwhile, in most places outside the States, it's providing one year of free AI Plus, normally $4.99 a month, to college students. The latter offer is good everywhere Google offers AI Plus -- the list spans more than 160 markets -- but not Albania, Bolivia, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, or Tunisia. Click here to sign up for the offer. After 12 months, students who don't cancel will be charged the full price of their plan. The two plans are the lower tiers of Google's AI offerings: * AI Plus includes 400GB of online storage for Google services, twice the usage limit of non-paying users, and access to the Gemini Live conversational feature, among other upgrades. * AI Pro includes 5GB of Google storage and four times the usage limits of free users. It adds higher-end tools such as the Gemini Spark assistant. Google is also offering an "up to 70% discount" on a bundle of AI Pro and YouTube Premium; in the US, that brings the monthly rate down to $8.99, down from $35.98. Google's back-to-school announcement also includes a set of expanded study tools, starting with practice quizzes already available in AI Overview and AI Mode search. In the latter AI search option, you can also generate search notebooks from course materials and your AI Mode conversations, and request interactive visualizations of tricky concepts; those two features will also soon be available in AI Overview results. In what Google describes as "the coming days," you'll be able to search Gemini Notebooks (formerly NotebookLM) you've created for particular courses or topics in AI Mode. In "the coming weeks," you'll be able to request step-by-step tutorials via the Google Lens feature in the company's eponymous Android and iOS apps. Finally, the company touts the ability to use Gemini Live to launch "Deep Research" in the background, then quiz the chatbot on the resulting reports. Videos in an advance copy of Google's press kit show the AI generating a report with a typo in its title: "Classical Music in Vienna and it's Historical Influence." Consider this yet another reminder to verify AI answers rather than assume they're true.

Google is offering college students a year of its AI Pro plan for free - Engadget

Sure, this is likely an attempt to juice those Gemini usage numbers, but it also comes with 5TB of cloud storage. Google has a new promotion that gives students a full year of its AI Pro subscription for free. This typically costs $200 per year, or $20 a month, and the offer is available to eligible college students in the US. As the name of the subscription suggests, this is primarily an AI-focused offering. Subscribers get quadruple the usage limits in Gemini, access to the Spark agentic platform and Gemini integration within Workspace apps like Gmail and Docs. This is likely an attempt to juice Gemini's engagement numbers, so expect a press release several months from now that crows about new AI Pro subscribers. However, it's not a bad deal, even for the AI-averse. The promo also gives users a whopping 5TB of cloud storage and a subscription to Google Health Premium, which integrates with FitBit devices and other health trackers. The company is also selling a heavily-discounted bundle that includes access to both AI Pro and YouTube Premium. So this could be a fairly easy way to get access to a decent music-streaming service on the cheap, as the whole thing costs $9 per month. There's one major caveat, which is the same for all promotions of this type. It auto-renews at the full price, so be sure to set a calendar reminder to cancel in just under a year from now. This could be an issue for those who have been using all of that cloud storage. Finally, there's a little offer for students outside of the US. The company is giving them a year of Google AI Plus for free. This is a bare-bones subscription that costs $5 per month and offers access to Gemini Omni and twice the usage limits with the chatbot. It also gives students 400GB of cloud storage.

Google gives students a free year of AI Pro and study tools

Google is rolling out study tools across Search and Gemini for back-to-school, and giving eligible US college students a free year of AI Pro. Students elsewhere get the cheaper AI Plus. Engadget reads the giveaway as a bid to grow Gemini's user base. Google is rolling out a wave of study tools across Search and Gemini for the new school year. It is also giving eligible college students a free year of its paid AI plan. The company set out the changes in a back-to-school post on Wednesday. The headline offer is the free subscription. Eligible college students in the United States can get one year of Google AI Pro at no cost, according to Google. The plan usually costs $200 a year, or $20 a month, Engadget reporter Lawrence Bonk noted. The plan bundles several products. Students get higher usage limits in Gemini. Engadget put the increase at four times the standard cap. They also get access to Google's Spark agentic platform, and Gemini inside Workspace apps such as Gmail and Docs. The offer also includes 5TB of cloud storage. It adds a Google Health Premium subscription, which links to Fitbit and other health trackers. The offer, and the catch Students outside the United States get a different deal. Google is giving them a year of Google AI Plus, a cheaper plan that normally costs $5 a month. It comes with higher Gemini usage limits and 400GB of storage. It also carries bundled discounts on AI Pro and YouTube Premium. There is one caveat, common to offers of this kind. The subscription auto-renews at the full price after a year, Engadget noted. Google is also selling a discounted bundle of AI Pro and YouTube Premium for $9 a month. That works out cheaper than many stand-alone music-streaming plans, Engadget noted. The free year is widely read as a way to grow Gemini's user base. Engadget called it a likely attempt to boost Gemini's engagement numbers. Google said in July that Gemini had passed a billion monthly users. It is racing OpenAI for a share of the AI market. A student hub in Gemini The product changes centre on studying. Google is adding a dedicated student hub in the Gemini app, The Verge reporter Terrence O'Brien reported. It gathers Gemini's learning tools in one place, from a study notebook to flashcards and practice quizzes. The hub lands as the back-to-school season begins, when students set up their tools for the term. The study notebooks are also getting an upgrade. They will support graphs and images, according to The Verge. Gemini can add test dates and deadlines to a student's Google Calendar based on their syllabus, the report said. Google describes the notebooks as personalised study plans, according to its back-to-school post. They use short diagnostic quizzes to spot gaps in a student's knowledge, then break the material into bite-sized plans. Google is bringing its Deep Research feature to Gemini Live, its voice-based mode. Students can ask Gemini to produce a detailed research report and then talk through the findings by voice, The Verge reported. If the report takes a while, they can close the chat and lock the phone. Gemini sends a notification when it is done. A new tool for Lens is due in the coming weeks. In the Google app, a student will be able to photograph a worksheet, according to The Verge. Gemini can then explain a concept, help with a hard topic, or offer coaching after a mistake. New study tools in Search The changes also reach Google Search. Students can generate interactive visuals to understand tricky topics, TechCrunch reporter Aisha Malik reported. Searching "pH scale", for example, returns an interactive visual in an AI Overview. A follow-up question goes further. Asking to plot citrus fruits on the pH scale prompts a tailored experience, according to TechCrunch. That runs through AI Mode in Search. Students can also request custom practice quizzes on any subject, including standardised tests such as the SAT. Google offers full-length practice SAT tests in Gemini at no cost. Gemini is gaining 3D simulations too. A prompt like "show me how DNA works in 3D" returns a structure a student can rotate and zoom, TechCrunch reported. Responses can now include tables, grids and simulations built for the prompt, rather than plain text alone. Search can also turn a student's files into study material. A user can upload a PDF, a set of slides or a photo of handwritten notes, and ask Search to produce a one-pager of the key concepts, TechCrunch said. A separate Lens tool in Search will walk students through problems step by step. It rolls out in the coming weeks, TechCrunch said. Chasing the classroom The launch is Google's latest push to make Gemini the assistant students reach for. It competes with OpenAI, which has its own study features, TechCrunch reported. It also faces education startups such as Knowt and Gauth, which sell their own study and practice tools. Google framed the tools as safe by design and rooted in learning science, with teachers kept in the lead. The offer post was written by Google's Jennifer Shen, and the Search rundown by Awaneesh Verma. The company has been pushing Gemini across its products, and is retiring Google Assistant on phones. For students, the pitch is a set of free tools and a year of a paid plan at the start of term. For Google, it is a chance to make Gemini a daily habit for a young audience, before a rival does. Whether the tools change how students study, or simply how many use Gemini, will show up in the usage figures that Google chooses to report next.

Google takes on ChatGPT with a free year of Gemini Pro and advanced study tools

Google Search is getting a major educational boost with step-by-step coaching via Lens, custom study guide generation, and expanded practice quizzes for standardized tests like the SAT. The fall semester is knocking on the door, and tech giants are scrambling to become your ultimate digital study buddy. While OpenAI recently launched ChatGPT for Teens to woo younger users with homework help, Google is throwing its own massive back-to-school party tailored for higher education. Starting today, Google is giving eligible college students a full year of its premium AI plans completely free of charge, alongside a sweeping overhaul of educational tools across Gemini, Search, and Lens. Let's talk about the freebies first, because this is a stellar deal. If you are an eligible college student in the US, you get a full year of Google AI Pro on the house. That translates to a $19.99 monthly value and unlocks Gemini Spark, a whopping 5TB of cloud storage, and 4x higher usage limits in Gemini. For students outside the US, Google hasn't forgotten you; you are getting a year of Google AI Plus for free, which offers Gemini Omni, 400GB of storage, and double the usage limits. Need some study beats while you work? Google is also tossing in a bundle option that gets you AI Pro and YouTube Premium for up to 70% off. We already knew that Gemini was quietly building out more student resources, and now we know exactly what they are. The new dedicated Student Hub serves as your central command center. Here, you can leverage the Study Notebooks feature that Google introduced a few weeks ago. Soon, these notebooks will get even smarter by automatically pulling syllabus dates directly into your Google Calendar and embedding graphs into your bite-sized lesson plans. Furthermore, your notebooks will now automatically sync directly into Google Search's AI Mode, letting you organize sources and analyze reference materials without leaving the search bar. Speaking of Search, Google is transforming it into a highly interactive tutor. If you recall, Google started offering Gemini SAT prep tests back in January. Now, the company is expanding that initiative by baking custom practice quizzes right into Search for standardized tests like the SAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT. You can even snap a photo of a complicated problem using Lens, and the AI will coach you through the tough concepts step-by-step rather than just handing you the answer, much like Study Mode in ChatGPT for Teens. Search will also let you generate interactive visual simulations for complex topics or compile your messy lecture notes into a neat, custom study document. Finally, for those late-night cram sessions, Gemini Live is stepping up its game. You can now launch Deep Research queries asynchronously. Ask Gemini to research a multi-step topic, lock your phone, and walk away. When the report is ready, you'll get a notification and can literally talk through the findings hands-free, as if you were debating a classmate. It's a bold leap forward for conversational studying, ensuring that no matter what your major is, you have a tireless study partner ready to help you ace the semester. Compared to ChatGPT for Teens, which leans on restraint and nudges younger users away from letting AI finish their homework, Google is betting on the opposite by giving college students a free year of its best AI plan and hoping they lean on it all semester. If you're heading back to campus, it's worth checking whether you qualify before paying for anything yourself.

Gemini Live adds Deep Research as Notebooks come to AI Mode

With the back-to-school season underway, Google is introducing new study tools across the Gemini app and Search. Gemini Live is rolling out Deep Research integration. This lets you ask for research reports by voice and then discuss what's generated. College students in the US can get one free year of Google AI Pro ($19.99 per month), while there's a bundle with YouTube Premium that offers up to 70% off. Internationally, the offer is a year of AI Plus ($4.99 per month). A new "Student" hub (gemini.google.com/students) in the Gemini side panel surfaces offers and tools, like flashcards and practice quizzes. Meanwhile, the study notebooks introduced in June are getting new features. At the moment, you can upload notes and other class material to get lesson plans and quizzes. Over the coming weeks, Google is adding graphs and images, as well as Google Calendar integration that can schedule due dates and exams based on your syllabus. Meanwhile, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode are adding a host of study tools. Search can generate custom tools and simulations to explain complex topics: * "You can do a search like "ph scale" and quickly get an interactive visual in an AI Overview to help you understand the basics." Fully available in coming weeks. * "To go even further, you can follow up and ask to see something more specialized, like plotting citrus fruits on the pH scale, and AI Mode will create a customized experience just for your question." This joins custom practice quizzes for various topics and standardized tests, including the ACT, AP, ENEM, GRE, JEE, LSAT, MCAT, NEET, and SAT. "create a quiz with the most commonly tested vocab words to help me prep for the SAT" AI Mode is getting integration with Gemini Notebooks. Appearing in the side panel, Google recommends setting up notebooks for every class or project, and then adding slides, syllabi, and articles. You can even add your previous AI Mode threads on related topics. Your notebook brings it all together in one place, letting you ask questions and analyze topics based on your reference materials, while you build on your ideas over time. Another addition lets you "create ready-to-use study documents based on your uploaded files or AI Mode threads." For example, you can add a photo of your handwritten notes along with lecture slides and ask Search for a one-pager that outlines the key concepts. Google Lens is getting a new interactive learning experience that can discuss "tough concepts and confirm if you're on the right track." Available in the coming weeks (globally in English), you just snap a photo of the problem.

Google is giving students a free year of Gemini Pro -- plus, new AI study features

Head back to school equipped with AI tools for studying, researching and more Once again, Google is giving eligible college students in the U.S. an opportunity to utilize AI tools for studying and more with 12 months of Google AI Pro for free. Normally, $19.99 a month, the plan comes with higher Gemini usage limits, Gemini inside apps including Gmail and Google Docs, 5TB of storage and access to tools such as Gemini Spark. Students outside the U.S. haven't been forgotten, although the offer is different. Eligible students in more than 140 markets can receive Google AI Plus free for one year, with twice the Gemini usage limits available to free users, Gemini Omni and 400GB of storage. Google is also offering student discounts on a bundle combining Google AI Pro with YouTube Premium. The company says the savings can reach 70%, depending on the market and offer. You'll need to verify your student status through SheerID and provide a valid payment method when you sign up. The free plans automatically become paid subscriptions after the 12-month period unless you cancel. Students have until December 31, 2026 to redeem the offer. In addition to the free subscription, Google has a plethora of new tools designed to help students organize classes, create study plans and work through difficult material. Here's what's coming to Gemini and Search. A new student hub inside Gemini Google has created a dedicated student hub inside the Gemini app that brings its learning features together in one place. Available at gemini.google.com/students, the hub provides shortcuts for starting a study notebook, creating flashcards and taking practice quizzes. Google says it will add new learning tools to the hub as they become available. The student hub is rolling out on mobile and the web to signed-in personal accounts in every language supported by the Gemini app. Support for school-issued Google accounts and younger users who meet Google's age requirements is expected in the coming weeks. Study notebooks build a plan around your class materials Study notebooks are designed for those moments when you have a stack of lecture notes and no idea where to begin. Upload your class materials and Gemini will break the subject into smaller topics. You can then take a diagnostic quiz so the AI can identify what you already understand and where you need more work. It uses those results to generate shorter lessons and quizzes, while a progress dashboard tracks how much you've completed. Google plans to add graphs and images to notebook lessons in the coming weeks. Gemini will also be able to pull exam and assignment dates from an uploaded syllabus and add them to Google Calendar, although it will ask for permission before doing so. The feature itself is available to free Gemini users, but Google AI Plus and Pro subscribers can create more notebooks and include more sources. Gemini can now generate interactive 3D visuals Some subjects are much easier to understand when you can see what is happening instead of reading another paragraph about it. Gemini's interactive visualizations can create functional 3D simulations based on a question. Ask it to show how DNA works, for example, and it can generate a structure that you can rotate and zoom into. Other examples provided by Google include watching a pendulum transfer energy or exploring cash burn rates in an interactive table. Besides 3D models, Gemini can also design tables, grids and simulations depending on the subject and the way you phrase the request. Interactive visualizations are rolling out globally to personal and school-issued Google accounts, subject to age requirements and usage limits. Deep Research is coming to Gemini Live Google is also bringing Deep Research into Gemini Live, allowing students to start a research report by speaking rather than typing out a detailed prompt. Once the research begins, you don't need to leave Gemini Live open. You can close the chat, lock your phone or continue another conversation while Gemini works in the background. The app sends a notification when the report is ready. You can then talk through the findings in Gemini Live, ask follow-up questions or tell Gemini to refine part of the report. That could be useful for working through research while walking across campus or reviewing a subject without sitting in front of a laptop. Deep Research in Gemini Live is rolling out globally now, although availability and age restrictions may vary. Google Search can create interactive learning tools Google is adding generative visual tools to Search as well as Gemini. Search for a broad subject such as the pH scale and an AI Overview may generate an interactive visual explaining the basics. You can then open AI Mode and request something more specific, such as plotting different citrus fruits on that scale. You can also go directly to AI Mode and describe the learning tool or simulation you need. Google says these generative interface tools are available globally in English in AI Mode and are beginning to roll out in AI Overviews. Practice quizzes are coming to AI Overviews and AI Mode Students can now ask Google Search to create a practice quiz on subjects ranging from math and science to foreign languages and the humanities. The quizzes include an explanation for each answer and links to further reading. Search can also generate practice questions for the ACT, AP, ENEM, GRE, JEE, LSAT, MCAT, NEET and SAT. Google is sourcing some of this test-prep content through partnerships with The Princeton Review, Careers360, PhysicsWallah and Akira Enem. Practice quizzes are available globally in English through both AI Overviews and AI Mode at no charge. Additionally, AI Mode can now create files using material from uploaded documents and previous Search conversations. You could upload a photo of handwritten notes and a set of lecture slides, for example, then ask Search to turn them into a one-page guide covering the main concepts. It can create documents, slide presentations, spreadsheets and text files in several formats. Google Lens will coach students through mistakes Taking a photo of a homework problem with Google Lens will soon produce more than an answer. The new experience is designed to break down the problem, explain individual steps and point out where a student may have made a mistake. If the explanation still isn't clear, students can continue asking questions in AI Mode and open relevant websites alongside the conversation. The Lens learning feature will roll out globally in English over the coming weeks through the Google app on Android and iOS. Notebooks are moving into Google Search Google is bringing Gemini Notebook, the tool previously known as NotebookLM, directly into AI Mode. Students will be able to create a separate notebook for each class or project, then fill it with lecture slides, syllabi, web articles and previous AI Mode conversations. Search can answer questions using those selected materials rather than starting with the entire web each time. Existing notebooks from Gemini Notebook and the Gemini app will automatically appear in Search, with their sources and instructions synced across Google's products. Notebooks in AI Mode are rolling out in English across more than 180 countries over the next few days. They won't initially be available in the European Economic Area, and support for additional languages will follow later. Tools to ace the school year Taken together, these updates give Google a fairly complete AI study setup. Students can collect their class materials, find gaps in their knowledge, generate a study plan and test themselves without moving between several unrelated tools. As always when using AI, students will still need to check Gemini's work, particularly when using it for research or complex homework. It's also important to remember to use AI as a study partner and not the main character. With a free year of Google AI Pro taking on your toughest assignments with confidence may just be easier with an AI study buddy. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.

College Students Can Get a Free Year of Google AI Pro

Google today said eligible college students in the United States can get a free year of Google AI Pro. Google AI Pro is normally priced at $19.99 per month, and it includes 4x higher usage limits in Gemini, access to Gemini Spark, Gemini in Google apps like Gmail and Google Docs, and 5TB of storage space. Eligible college students outside the United States can get a free year of Google AI Plus, which includes Gemini Omni, 4x higher usage limits in Gemini, and 400GB storage. College students can also opt for a Google AI Pro and YouTube Premium bundle for $8.99 per month in the United States, which is a 70 percent discount off the regular price. Students can subscribe to the YouTube Premium bundle for up to four years, and verification through SheerID is required. Google added a student hub to Gemini with study notebooks, diagnostic quizzes, and study plans. Gemini Notebook is available in AI Mode in Search, and a dedicated notebook can be set up for each project or class. Notebooks from Gemini Notebook or the Gemini app will appear automatically in Search. Notebooks for AI Mode are rolling out to over 180 countries in the coming days. Google Search can generate custom tools and simulations for complicated concepts, along with practice quizzes for the ACT, AP, ENEM, GRE, JEE, LSAT, MCAT, NEET, and SAT. Generative UIs are available globally in AI Mode and are rolling out to AI Overviews over the coming weeks, while the practice quiz option is available now. Lens in Search will soon include an interactive learning experience for breaking down tough problems. Students can use the Google app to take a photo of what they're working on to get an AI Overview that can find mistakes and offer explanations. Students can sign up for a free AI plan on Google's website through December 31, 2026. After the free subscription period, Google will charge $19.99 per month for AI Pro unless the plan is canceled, and $4.99 per month (or the local currency equivalent) for AI Plus. Students must be 18 years or older with a personal Google Account and must verify student status with a valid school email address when requested.

Google Search is an AI-powered homework helper now

Google expands Gemini offerings and Search functions as students head back to school. Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable / Google As districts across the country debate the efficacy of tech-enabled classrooms, Google wants to upgrade the average students' school supplies with new AI features. And they don't even need to leave the Google homepage to find them. Google Search becomes a study helper Announced today, Google is refashioning Search and AI Mode into a one-stop shop for homework help. When users turn to Google's query box for questions, they will also be able to ask the search engine to come up with visuals to understand tricky concepts -- much like Gemini's interactive visuals announced last year -- or create practice quizzes across a variety of subjects. Search can help students study for standardized tests in collaboration with education companies The Princeton Review, Careers360, PhysicsWallah, and Akira Enem. Users can also upload images of assignments and study guides to get detailed help using Lens and AI Overview, or connect Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) while in AI Mode to further personalize homework help. With all this data in hand, Search can leverage AI Mode conversations, files, and more to generate entirely personalized study documents, the company explained. Is Google Search safe for kids? Google has spent the last year overhauling the classic Search experience with the help of AI. Last month, child safety watchdog Common Sense Media declared Google's AI-powered Search posed an "unacceptable risk" to minor users. Across the country, students have access to Google's AI features, including Search, through the company's Classroom suite and Google devices like Chromebooks. At the time of the report, Google had blocked access to Gemini for users under 18, but many K-12 students could still interact with the AI model indirectly through Search. In the weeks following, Google reportedly opened up Gemini access to minors using its Classroom app. Via a new Gemini tab on student accounts, users could ask the chatbot for help with assignments, create study resources, and generate images linked to materials provided by teachers, the New York Times reported. Google told Mashable that Common Sense Media's study of AI Overviews and AI Mode was flawed. "Our AI Search features are an incredibly useful way for kids and teens to learn, explore and make sense of information and the world," the company said. "This report tests a narrow set of ambiguous and contrived queries that don't reflect how people use Search and aren't an effective way to measure product safety and helpfulness." More Back to School upgrades Google's homework features aren't limited to Search, however. The company is also upgrading Gemini with a brand new student hub, centralizing its school-focused AI tools. Intended to help users manage their customized study resources, users can have Gemini automatically sync study dates, assignment deadlines, and test notifications to Google Calendar. Google will be adding visualizations, like graphs and charts, to Notebook lesson plans over the coming months. They will also be able to access Google's Deep Research mode while using Gemini Live voice chat. Google AI Pro for free Starting today, U.S. college students can get a free year of Google AI Pro or bundle Google subscriptions (like Google AI Pro and a YouTube Premium) at a discount. Students outside the U.S. are eligible for 12 months of Google AI Plus, the company's lower tier subscription, at no cost.

Back to School 2026

Heading into a new school year brings a mix of anxiety and excitement, and an ever growing to-do list. To help students and teachers start the year feeling confident and prepared, we're bringing updates to Google tools that enable them to master new concepts, stay organized, and learn more effectively. Across Google Search, Gemini, YouTube, and more, our education tools are built to be safe by design and rooted in proven learning science. Our goal is to bring lessons to life in the classroom and support personalized study at home, while keeping teachers in the lead. Check out our latest features and offers. 1. New student offers: To help them power through the academic year, eligible college students in the U.S. can get one year free of Google AI Pro -- providing access to Gemini Spark, increased usage limits, and 5 TB of storage. Eligible college students outside the U.S. can access Google AI Plus, free of charge, featuring increased usage limits, 400GB of storage, alongside bundled discounts on Google AI Pro and YouTube Premium. Sign up today. 2. Tailored studying and more with Gemini: Students can make the most of a dedicated student hub to keep organized and get started with Gemini's learning tools. They can use study notebooks -- personalized learning that uses diagnostic quizzes to identify strengths and knowledge gaps -- to get bite-sized study plans tailored to their learning goals. New to Gemini Live, students can also request and talk through Deep Research reports with Gemini on the go. 3. Google Search features to level up your learning: With new features coming to Search, students can generate interactive visuals to understand tricky concepts, take a practice quiz for any subject (including standardized tests), and learn step-by-step with Lens. Plus, they'll be able to organize projects with notebooks and streamline their studies by creating custom files. 4. AI tools that help educators stay in the lead: We recently introduced new teacher-led tools in Google Classroom so teachers can tailor their students' AI experience to their specific curriculum and track progress in real time. Plus, our connected Classroom app in Gemini lets educators securely draft lesson plans to help students learn in the way that works best for them. Read more for a full look at how our latest tools are supporting students and teachers this school year.

You can get Google Gemini Pro free for a year, as long as you meet this one condition

Sara Heritage is a tech and gaming journalist, who's currently making her way up to Master Ball rank in Pokemon Champions. Bylines in IGN, GAMINGbible, The Gamer and more. You can usually find her tinkering with tech, or restoring old consoles, always with one of her 3 cats nearby. Come and talk with her over on Twitter @SHeritageJourno. * US college students get 1 year of Google AI Pro free (verify via SheerID; auto-renews at paid rate afterward) * Students outside US get 1 year Google AI Plus (Gemini Omni, 400GB); exclusions apply. * New student hub + Gemini creates custom study notebooks, quizzes, 3D visuals and Deep Research; redeem by 31 Dec 2026. It's nearly time to head back to school, but there's no need to be worried this year - Google is making it easier than ever to study for your exams. To help lighten the load during the September semester rush, Google is offering students across the USG an entire year of Google AI Pro, normally priced at $19.99 per month, completely free of charge. That's a nearly $300 saving! How to claim your free year of Google AI Pro You'll need to verify your student email via an app To claim your free year of Google AI Pro, you will need to verify your active enrollment as a college student through SheerID. With this, you'll get four times higher usage limits in Gemini, built-in AI assistance directly inside everyday tools like Gmail and Google Docs, a massive 5 TB of cloud storage, access to Gemini Spark, Google Health Premium, and more. Don't worry if you're outside the United States! Although you won't be able to obtain a Pro subscription, Google is still giving you one year of Google AI Plus free of charge. The offer gives you access to Gemini Omni, twice the usage limits in Gemini, 400 GB of storage and other benefits. This applies to all students except those in the U.S., Bolivia, Albania, Canada, Macau, Hong Kong, and Tunisia. If you want to bundle your study tools with the perfect distraction from studying, you can also bag yourself ad-free music and video streaming with up to 70% off a bundle of Google AI Pro and a YouTube Premium subscription. Keep in mind that the offer is meant for individual student use rather than school-administered accounts, and unless you cancel beforehand, the plan will automatically convert to standard monthly pricing once your free promotional year concludes. Google even has new study tools to help you ace the semester In addition to the savings available with subscriptions, Google has introduced a centralized student hub to help keep coursework organized. Within this hub, you are able to upload your class notes and syllabus in order to create custom study notebooks. Gemini will then automatically analyze these reference files to produce pop quizzes, create short learning lessons, and track your progress over time. If you're more of a visual learner, Google Gemini can now produce interactive visualizations such as custom 3D simulations and data tables to help you understand complex topics. Moreover, Google is incorporating Deep Research directly into Gemini Live, so you can start comprehensive, multi-stage research reports that run in the background while you review the results personally. You've got until December 31, 2026, to redeem these offers, so don't wait until after the Christmas break; head into the new semester prepared for success. You'll need a valid form of payment when you go to sign up, but you can cancel any time.