Best offer on record: Azure for Students: $100 credit + 12-month free services + always-free services (no credit card). 16 verified findings, checked 2026-10-22.
Live check of “Microsoft for Startups — single-path program, $200 immediate credits, up to $150,000 via…”:Confirmed
Microsoft for Startups is confirmed as a single-path program ("Every startup enters Microsoft for Startups the same way"), open to new applicants via startups.microsoft.com as of 2026-10-22. It grants up to $200 in Startup credits immediately (sign up for Azure + verify identity with a personal LinkedIn account), with automatic milestone-based progression to $5,000 (business verification), $25,000 (5+ Azure workloads over ~60 days), $50,000 (7+ workloads) and a top tier of $150,000 (10+ workloads plus ~$3,000/month Azure usage sustained ~60 days); eligibility is early-stage B2B startups from pre-seed through Series B, privately held, headquartered in a supported region. The candidate URL was the correct official Microsoft page, last updated 2026-08-05.
Azure for Students: $100 credit + 12-month free services + always-free services (no credit card) high confidence
As read 2026-10-22: $100 in Azure credit valid for 12 months (new Azure customers only); free monthly amounts of 20+ popular services for 12 months (e.g., 750 hrs each of B1s/B2pts v2/B2ats v2 burstable VMs; Container Registry 1 Standard tier with 100 GB + 10 webhooks; Azure SQL 100,000 vCore-sec serverless/mo with 32 GB; PostgreSQL/MySQL 750 hrs Flexible B1MS with 32 GB data + 32 GB backup; SQL Managed Instance 720 vCore-hrs of 4/8-vCore GP with 64 GB data + 64 GB backup); plus 65+ always-free services (DevOps: 5 users with unlimited private Git repos; Cosmos DB 1,000 RU/s + 25 GB; Functions 1M requests/mo; App Service up to 10 web/API apps w/ 1 GB storage; Static Web Apps 100 GB bandwidth; AKS cluster mgmt free; IoT Hub 8,000 msgs/day). Renew annually while a student. One account per person. After credit: email offers pay-as-you-go or disable.
Eligibility
Full-time university students only (page asterisks full-time requirement); sign up with school email to verify student status; .edu or equivalent institutional email; not a trial — no credit card required. Region-limited services apply (always-free/12-month SKUs differ by Azure region); available in most Azure regions.
How to claim
1) Go to azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/students. 2) Sign up with a Microsoft account + school email. 3) Student status verified automatically from email (no CC). 4) Claim $100 credit and apply; browse always-free/12-month services in portal. 5) Renew yearly while enrolled.
Expiry
Credit: 12 months from account creation; 12-month services: 12 months (new customers); always-free services: indefinite. Annual renewal while a student re-extends the free amounts. No published sunset date.
Gotchas
Credit card NOT required, but services beyond free amounts/credit bill you once credit is gone (pay-as-you-go). 'Always-free' has hard monthly caps (egress >100 GB/mo always-free is billed; data egress costs apply). Student plan is for learning/non-commercial; commercial workloads are ineligible. One account per person; re-verification may be requested.
Students aged 13+ enrolled in a degree- or diploma-granting course of study; school-issued email address and/or official, dated proof of enrollment. .edu preferred but international equivalents accepted via verification. One pack per student. Free; no credit card for GitHub itself (some partner trials may ask for a card on their side).
How to claim
1) github.com/education/students (or education.github.com/pack). 2) 'Get verified': sign in, verify school email or upload enrollment proof. 3) Claim Student Developer Pack; individual partner offers are accepted one by one in the pack page. Renewal: re-verify yearly while enrolled.
Expiry
Pack entitlement lasts while student status is verified; renews annually. Individual partner offers have their own terms (1 week–24 months; e.g., Heroku $13/mo x 24 mo). 'Always' items: GitHub Pro, Copilot Student, Codespaces pro tier.
Gotchas
GitHub Actions minutes/Codespaces hours are tied to the free Pro student tier, not a one-time grant. Copilot 'limited chat/agent usage' caps apply. Partner lineup churns (e.g., Gitpod/Replit/DigitalOcean no longer listed in 2026; JetBrains still listed but now as 'free subscription, renewed annually'). Microsoft 365 offer in the pack is the discounted/free M365 deal, not a new entitlement.
Office 365 A1 free for students, faculty & staff (desktop + web), donated to eligible institutions high confidence
As read 2026-10-22: 'Educators and students with an eligible education email address can get Office 365 A1 for free' — Microsoft donates Office 365 A1 for Education to eligible institutions at no cost. Desktop Office apps install on up to 5 PCs/Macs + up to 5 tablets/phones per user; includes web apps, OneDrive for Education, Teams for Education. If your school already licenses A3/A5, you get that tier instead. Validity: 'as long as you are working at, or enrolled in, a qualified educational organization; eligibility may be re-verified at any time.'
Eligibility
Eligible education email at a qualified institution (.edu or equivalent; individual verification possible for schools without an org license: automated check 'instantaneous', or up to a month for institution verification; individuals without eligibility get a 30-day trial path).
How to claim
1) Use your school email at office.com / 'get Office 365 A1 for free' (aka.ms/office-a1-hero-button). 2) Verify with institutional email (30-day trial fallback if school not yet in a qualifying org). 3) Desktop install via your account on 5 PCs/Macs + 5 tablets/phones.
Expiry
No fixed expiry while enrolled/employed; plan ends (apps drop to reduced-functionality mode; online services stop) on departure/expiry. Eligibility can be re-verified at any time.
Gotchas
This is the school's license flowing to the individual — not a personal subscription; you lose access on graduation/leaving. Doesn't include full Microsoft 365 Personal (e.g., Word desktop on a personal account). Free Office on the web remains separately available to anyone.
50% student discount on Microsoft 365 Personal with Copilot (Word/Excel/PPT/OneNote/Outlook + Copilot, 1 TB OneDrive) medium confidence
As read 2026-10-22 (offer cards on MS education hub and store/education page): 'Use your college email to save 50% on Microsoft 365 with Copilot included' — Microsoft 365 Personal with Copilot at 50% off the list price, includes desktop apps with Copilot, 1 TB OneDrive, Defender security. Offer card title on store page: 'Students save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal'. This replaced/superseded the old '50% off' Office 365 University offer.
Eligibility
Full-time and part-time enrolled university/college students at accredited institutions; verification of student status + a valid Microsoft account (personal MSA, NOT the .edu address, for the subscription itself). .edu/college email used to verify. Available in the markets where the student deal is offered (US-first, expanded in Oct 2025 'to more markets around the world').
How to claim
1) microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/college-student-pricing. 2) Create/sign in with personal Microsoft account. 3) Add payment info (a payment method IS required to subscribe). 4) Provide EDU email for verification. 5) Email with completion link arrives at the student mailbox; subscribe at 50% off.
Expiry
Recurring subscription: auto-renews at the discounted monthly/annual price while verification holds; eligibility can be re-checked (Microsoft periodically re-verifies student status; account downgrades when no longer eligible).
Gotchas
Payment method required (unlike Azure for Students). It's a personal MSA subscription, not a school license. Trial vs free: the discounted plan is a paid subscription from day one — the free 12-month variant (below) is the no-cost path where available.
Free 12 months of Microsoft 365 Personal (with Copilot) for US college students — announced Sep 4, 2025; 50% off afterward medium confidence
Per Microsoft's White House AI Education commitments announcement (2025-09-04): 'Microsoft 365 Personal free for 12 months to every college student in the United States', incl. community college students; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook with Copilot built in; sign-up opened immediately 'through October 31, 2025 (valid university email address required)'. After the free year: eligible for 50% discount to continue (list ~$99.99/yr before discount). Microsoft's Oct 1, 2025 announcement 'expanding the limited-time student offer to more markets around the world'. The education Office page (2026-10-22) still shows a 'Free for students: Our ultimate AI and productivity subscription' section pointing to college-student-pricing, but the live page could not be read today (JS/timeout), so current (post-Oct-2025-window) availability is unconfirmed.
Eligibility
US college students (incl. community colleges) at launch; later expanded to more markets. Valid university email required; signup on a personal Microsoft account. No credit card for the free year is advertised; a payment method is required for post-expiry continuation at the discounted price.
How to claim
1) Sign up via the M365 student offer (college-student-pricing / 'Free for students' card on education pages). 2) Verify with valid university email. 3) Use M365 Personal free for 12 months; set a reminder before the free year ends to switch to 50% discount or cancel.
Expiry
Free period = 12 months per claim; original US signup window closed Oct 31, 2025 (international expansion Oct 2025). Status of the offer in Oct 2026 could not be confirmed from the live page today.
Gotchas
Limited-time offer: likely lapses or narrows between promo windows; check the page before relying on it. Auto-billing kicks in after the free year unless cancelled. 1 TB OneDrive included; Copilot usage limits apply.
Microsoft Store 10% student/parent discount on select devices high confidence
As read 2026-10-22: 'Students and parents can get 10% off on select devices, including Microsoft Surface' (education hub) — store FAQ wording: 'Use the Microsoft student discount to get 10% off select physical products, including select Surface devices, as well as select student laptops, and PC accessories'. Ongoing, not time-boxed.
Eligibility
Students: school-issued email 'provided by the school (for example, contoso.edu) that can receive external email, be of legal age to sign up for an online offer'. Parents discount is the separate parent-verification variant of the same program. US storefront.
How to claim
1) microsoft.com/en-us/store/b/education. 2) Sign in, verify student (school email) or parent status. 3) 10% applied to eligible SKUs at purchase.
Expiry
Ongoing while eligible; no stated end date.
Gotchas
Only 'select' SKUs; Microsoft 'reserves the right to verify an eligible retailer's advertised price and availability'. Physical products only (no M365 subscription discounts here).
Azure Dev Tools for Teaching (Azure Education Hub) — free professional dev tools, IDEs & Git/CI tooling for students and faculty medium confidence
Free, non-credit offering: Windows 11/10 Pro, Visual Studio, SQL Server, Windows Server, Project Professional, Visio Professional (title list confirmed by UTEP's Feb 2026 catalog and U of I WebStore listing; full list in the Microsoft FAQ) plus GitHub Student Developer Pack integration on campus. 'Software is acquired ... only for instructional and research purposes'; commercial use prohibited (except free Windows-store apps). Office is NOT included. No expiry while enrolled — re-verifying student/faculty status keeps access; the 2016 'no expiry date' model continues.
Eligibility
Students and faculty/staff of accredited institutions; student status verified with the university email via the Azure Education Hub (institutional SSO). Region: worldwide, campus-by-campus agreements.
How to claim
1) Open the Azure Education Hub student-verification portal (linked from your campus IT page). 2) Sign in with your university email (SSO where available). 3) After verification, browse 'Software' in the hub and download titles (license terms per title).
Expiry
Licensed for as long as enrolled/employed at the qualifying institution; no personal expiry date; access lapses on verification failure/graduation. Titles change with Microsoft's licensing agreements.
Gotchas
Non-commercial, instructional/research use only — cannot run departmental infrastructure or commercial products. Microsoft's own page (azure.microsoft.com/en-us/education) now funnels to Azure-for-Students content; program details live in the hub FAQ. Credit: no Azure credit in the hub — the $100 student credit is separate (Azure for Students).
Azure for Startups (new 2025/2026 credit program) — $1,000 instant credits, up to $5,000 total; card required for identity high confidence
As read 2026-10-22 on the Azure-for-Students page (a new tier now advertised alongside the student offer): 'Azure for Startups: $1,000 in Azure credits instantly — no application required; unlock up to $5,000 in total credits with business verification; credits valid for 90 days (initial) and 180 days (post-verification); access to full Azure catalog up to credit limits; spending protection — credit card required only for identity verification and services beyond credit; no upfront commitment — cancel anytime; move to pay-as-you-go after credits expire or are used.'
Eligibility
New Azure customers starting a startup (any new business customer can get the $1,000 instant tier; the extended tier requires business verification). Not age/funding-capped like the legacy Founders Program. Worldwide where Azure is available.
How to claim
1) Create a new Azure account; select the Azure for Startups plan (ad on the Azure free/students pages). 2) No application for the instant $1,000 — card added for identity verification. 3) Complete business verification to unlock up to $4,000 more (total $5,000). 4) Set spending limits; credits burn down 90 days (initial) / 180 days (post-verification).
Expiry
Credits expire on fixed clocks: 90 days (initial $1,000) and 180 days (post-verification pool). After expiry: pay-as-you-go unless cancelled.
Gotchas
Credit card IS required (identity + beyond-credit charges) — unlike Azure for Students. 90/180-day validity is far shorter than legacy Founders Program credits. Not a 'trial': unused credits are forfeit, not refunded.
Microsoft for Startups Founders Program — 'up to $150,000' Azure credits marketing (legacy big program) medium confidence
As read 2026-10-22: the Microsoft for Startups landing page still advertises 'up to $150,000 in credits' — 'Credits can be applied across eligible Azure services', with AI tools ('scalable AI tools that help cut costs'), technical resources, and the startup network. The 'Get started now' CTA now routes to the Azure Portal startup home view (portal.azure.com/?homeview=startup) rather than a standalone Founders Program application page; /startups/founders 404s. No numeric eligibility thresholds (funding cap, startup age, region) are published on the current page — detailed terms now live behind the portal flow. Legacy Founders Program historically: early-stage startups, < $30M raised, multi-month credit validity, plus training/mentorship/benefits; those specifics are not confirmable on the live pages today.
Eligibility
Early-stage startups building on Microsoft tech (funding cap and age limits historically: < $30M raised; regions with Azure availability). No current live-page confirmation of caps today.
How to claim
1) microsoft.com/startups → 'Get started now' (fwlink resolves to portal.azure.com/?homeview=startup). 2) Start in the Azure Portal startup flow / register via the startup program portal; larger credit pools historically required application + investor/partner referral; the new instant tier is the Azure for Startups $1k/$5k above.
Expiry
Credit validity depends on the specific granted pool (legacy grants were ~6–12 month usability); not published on the landing page today.
Gotchas
The $150K figure is a marketing maximum (historically: up to $150K Azure credits including base grants); most startups receive far less, tiered by review. The classic application-based Founders flow appears to have been consolidated into the portal 'Azure for Startups' tiers; treat the $150K as aspirational ceiling, not entitlement.
College PC bundle promo (2026) — 1 yr Microsoft 365 Premium + 1 yr Xbox Game Pass Ultimate + controller; promotion ENDED high confidence
Offer valid 4/15/2026–8/31/2026, redemption deadline 9/30/2026 (per official FAQ read 2026-10-22: 'This promotion has ended'): eligible US college students buying a new eligible Windows 11 PC got 1 year of Microsoft 365 Premium (ARV $199.99), 1 year Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (ARV $275.88), and an Xbox Design Lab controller (ARV $79.99) — '$500+ in added value'. One PC per student/account; refurbished PCs excluded; controller US shipping only.
Eligibility
US college/university students at accredited US institutions with a valid .edu email; eligible new Windows 11 PC purchase; M365 Premium: new subscribers or Personal/Family upgraders; Game Pass: new subscribers only.
How to claim
Ended: (1) buy eligible PC by 8/31/26; (2) verify .edu status via on-PC prompt or email at the Microsoft Academic Verification page; (3) claim subs + controller promo code by 9/30/26 11:59pm PT. A valid payment method was required; after 1 year both subs auto-renew at monthly fees unless cancelled at account.microsoft.com. Game Pass had to be verified within 5 days of activation.
Expiry
Ended: offer window closed 8/31/2026; redemption closed 9/30/2026. Page remains live for redemptions of in-window purchases.
Gotchas
Payment method required; auto-renewal charges after year 1; new-subscriber-only rules for the two subs; this is a hardware-tied promo, not a standalone free offer.
Azure for Students — $100 credit + free monthly service allowances high confidence
Verified today on azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/students: $100 Azure credit usable on most Azure products within 12 months; free monthly amounts on 20+ popular services for 12 months (new customers only), e.g. 750 hrs B1s/burstable VMs (Linux & Windows), 750 hrs PostgreSQL/MySQL Flexible Server B1MS + 32 GB storage + 32 GB backup, 720 vCore-hrs Azure SQL Managed Instance, 1 Azure Container Registry (Standard, 100 GB), 5,000 transactions of Azure Vision in Foundry Tools; free monthly amounts on 65+ always-free services with no time limit, e.g. Azure Functions 1M requests/mo, App Service 10 web/API apps + 1 GB storage, Cosmos DB 1,000 RU/s + 25 GB, AKS cluster management free (node charges apply), API Management 1M calls/mo (Consumption), AI Search 50 MB storage / 10,000 docs / 3 indexes, Static Web Apps 100 GB bandwidth, Logic Apps 4,000 built-in actions, DevOps 5 users, IoT Hub 8,000 msgs/day, plus Azure OpenAI and Microsoft Foundry model access. After the 12 months or credit exhaustion, Microsoft emails you to choose pay-as-you-go or have the subscription disabled; if you convert, free monthly amounts continue.
Eligibility
Full-time university students only; sign up with a school (.edu) email; one account per person; NO credit card required (explicitly stated on the page). No minimum age stated on the page, but the Azure-for-Students credit offer in the GitHub pack is 18+ (younger students get limited access). No country list published on the page (US-locale content).
How to claim
1) Go to azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/students, click 'Start free' (go.microsoft.com/fwlink link id 2062405). 2) Sign up with your school email; verification is via the school email — no card. 3) The $100 credit and free monthly allowances are granted immediately. 4) After account creation, download free dev tools from the Azure Education Hub. Renew yearly while enrolled.
Expiry
Credit usable within 12 months of account creation; free monthly allowances: 12 months for the 'popular services' set, ongoing (no limit) for the 65+ always-free set. Subscription renewable annually while still a full-time student. No sunset date published.
Gotchas
The $100 credit is a cap, not cash; once exhausted you must pay unless you stay within the free-allowance limits. Free-tier caps (e.g., VMs 750 hrs, not 730) are hard limits — overage is billed. Data egress, storage over 32 GB on DBs, and premium-tier usage are not covered. You must convert to pay-as-you-go to keep running after credit expiry. The AI free allowances are rebranded under Microsoft Foundry ('Foundry Tools'/'Control Plane') in 2025-2026 — same services, new names. One account per person; no stacking with the Azure Free account's $200.
Azure Free Account (standard tier, non-student) — $200 credit / 30 days + 12-month free services high confidence
Verified today on azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free: $200 credit usable on Azure services within 30 days (one per new customer; unused credit stays valid for the full 30 days), free monthly amounts on 20+ popular services for 12 months, and 65+ always-free services ongoing (same lists as the student page: 750 hrs VMs, 1M Functions requests, Cosmos DB 1000 RU/s + 25 GB, etc.). A phone number plus credit/debit card (non-prepaid; credit cards only in HK and Brazil) is required at signup, with a temporary ~$1 authorization that is reversed.
Eligibility
New Azure customers only; one free account with the $200 credit per person. Credit card required (unlike the student track). No funding or company requirements — open to individuals.
How to claim
1) Go to azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free, 'Get started'. 2) Sign in with a Microsoft or GitHub account. 3) Provide phone number + credit/debit card for identity verification. 4) $200 credit activates immediately; 12-month free service amounts apply to new-customer services.
Expiry
Credit: 30 days from account creation. 20+ free monthly amounts: 12 months (new customers). 65+ always-free services: ongoing. After expiry, Microsoft emails you; if you don't convert to pay-as-you-go, the account and services are disabled.
Gotchas
Credit card IS required here (not for students). After 30 days the $200 lapses; only the free monthly allowances survive. The $25/75-day extension that older guides mention is no longer advertised on the current page. Spending protection applies only while on the free account; convert to PAYG and all usage is billed.
Microsoft for Startups — single-path program, $200 immediate credits, up to $150,000 via milestones (current 2026 structure) high confidence
Verified today on learn.microsoft.com (page updated 2026-08-05; June 2, 2026 Microsoft blog 'a clearer path from AI development to enterprise growth'): startups apply directly at startups.microsoft.com and immediately get up to $200 in Startup credits (sign up for Azure + verify identity with a personal LinkedIn account; business accounts rejected at this step). Credits grow via automatic milestones: $5,000 after business verification (registered legal entity); $25,000 after 5+ active Azure workloads sustained ~60 days (one-time 2-year credit-use extension granted at this tier); $50,000 at 7+ workloads; $150,000 at 10+ workloads AND ~$3,000/month sustained usage. You can skip tiers; a 10-character investor referral code (from a Microsoft for Startups Investor Network VC/accelerator/partner university) unlocks higher tiers faster, a dedicated Microsoft point of contact, and extra credits. Includes Azure AI/Foundry model access, Marketplace/co-sell benefits, expert guidance.
Eligibility
Early-stage B2B software startups: pre-seed through Series B (no Series C funding or later), privately held for-profit, building a software product you own, HQ in a country where Azure is available; NOT more than $350,000 lifetime free Azure credits; no educational institutions/government/consultancies; no crypto mining. Apply with a personal consumer email (school/work emails rejected). Decisions typically within 3 business days.
How to claim
1) Go to https://startups.microsoft.com, click 'Get started now'. 2) Sign in with a personal Microsoft account (create if needed). 3) Choose path: enter your 10-character investor referral code, or 'Continue without a code'. 4) Verify with LinkedIn to 'Unlock $200 in Azure credits', then complete the 3-step Azure account setup (profile, billing address, payment info). 5) Credits appear in the MFS portal / Azure portal (joins on or after May 29, 2026 activate through the Azure portal; earlier joins used the MFS portal).
Expiry
Credits usable over the program period; at the $25K milestone you receive a one-time 2-year extension on using credits. Higher tiers require sustained ~60-day workload usage (each workload must stay above $1 spend for all 60 days; the clock starts once the required number of workloads each have >=$1 spend). No fixed sunset date published.
Gotchas
A credit cap, not cash: money is only 'free' while inside the ceiling, and exceeding it moves you to pay-as-you-go. Payment info/card is required at activation (won't be charged unless you exceed credits and stay on PAYG). Milestone credits are conditional on real sustained usage, not activation — many startups stop at $5K. School/edu emails are explicitly rejected for signup (contrast with the student program). The $150K figures on the still-live Founders Hub signup page and the $10K/$350K caps reflect different (legacy vs current) rules — the Learn program docs are authoritative. Pegasus (invitation-only) program continues separately.
Azure for Startups self-service credits — $1,000 (90 days) + up to $4,000 after business verification medium confidence
Listed on the current Azure for Students page (fetched today) as a separate sign-up tier: $1,000 instant Azure credit valid 90 days, plus up to $4,000 more that remain available for 180 days after business verification. This is the self-serve track of the July 2025 MFS restructure (replacing the old $150K/$10K Founders tiers for un-backed startups), which Microsoft further streamlined in 2026 into the milestone model ($200 start -> $5K verified -> $25K/$50K/$150K milestones).
Eligibility
Early-stage startups without investor backing, new to Azure; credit card required for identity verification (only charged if you move to pay-as-you-go beyond credits). Business verification = registered legal entity. Same MFS constraints apply (for-profit, software product, HQ in an Azure-available country, funding/credit caps per current program docs: no Series C+, <=$350K lifetime free Azure credits).
How to claim
Sign up for the 'Azure for Startups' tier from azure.microsoft.com (offered alongside the students and free accounts), or apply at startups.microsoft.com and complete business verification to unlock the additional $4,000. Identity-verification card required.
Expiry
Base $1,000 credit: 90 days from signup. Additional $4,000: available for 180 days after business verification. Existing credits from before the July 2025 program change remained valid until their original expiry.
Gotchas
No dedicated support on the self-serve track (self-service only) — the dedicated-Microsoft-POC/support path requires an Investor Network referral. Card required (unlike the student tier). The $4,000 is gated on actually completing business verification within the window. Note the 2026 milestone docs show some tiers now framed as $200/$5,000 gates, so the $1K/$4K structure coexists with the milestone model — check which offer is presented at signup.
Azure Dev Tools for Teaching / Visual Studio Academic Program — free education licenses (Visual Studio, SQL Server, Windows Server, Visio, Office, GitHub benefits) medium confidence
Verified today via the Azure for Students page, which states that after creating the student account you 'download free dev tools from the Azure Education Hub' through the Azure Dev Tools for Teaching program. The page's DFTT bundle lists: Visual Studio (Community, for Mac, plus Agents/Remote Tools), Azure DevOps Server, R Client/Server, SQL Server Developer/Mobile Report Publisher/Standard, System Center, Visio Professional, Windows Server, Skype for Business Server. Schools (accredited institutions) get the teaching licenses; students get the student-side dev licenses for non-commercial, educational use while enrolled.
Eligibility
Accredited educational institutions (faculty) and enrolled students; claimed through school-issued email / institutional account for the teaching side; the student side rides on the verified Azure for Students account. Non-commercial educational use only.
How to claim
1) Verify with your school email on the Azure for Students page (no card). 2) After account creation, open the Azure Education Hub linked there and download the dev-tool licenses. 3) Institutions obtain teaching kits via the Microsoft Academic Program (historically partner.microsoft.com/academic-program; that page returned 403 to today's fetch).
Expiry
Licenses last while you remain an enrolled student / faculty member; renewed yearly with the student subscription. No fixed sunset.
Gotchas
Dev-tools licenses are non-commercial — shipping a paid product with them breaches terms. The exact SKU list on the partner.microsoft.com DFTT page couldn't be fetched (403), so treat the granular list as 'per the students page snapshot today'. Office/M365 is generally delivered through the school's campus license (M365 Education) rather than a personal free download.
GitHub Student Developer Pack (Microsoft-subsidized offers inside the pack: $100 Azure credit, GitHub Pro, Copilot, Codespaces) high confidence
Verified today on github.com/education: verified students (13+, enrolled in a degree/diploma-granting program, school email or dated proof of enrollment) get free GitHub Pro (unlimited private repos, 3,000 Actions minutes/mo, 180 Codespaces hours/mo, 2 GB Packages storage), free GitHub Copilot for Students (300 premium requests/mo class allowance per current plan), plus 80+ partner offers. Microsoft's own offers inside the pack: $100 Azure credit (18+; separate limited access for 13-17), and a 'Microsoft Azure (for ages 13-17)' offer; partner offers include JetBrains, Heroku $13/mo x 24 months, MongoDB $50, domains. Student validation lasts 2 years, then revalidation required. Offers can't be reset by re-verifying; partner terms can limit age/country.
Eligibility
Enrolled students 13+ with school-issued email or enrollment proof; separate validation from the .edu-only Azure for Students program (documents accepted: ID, transcript, class schedule, verification letter). No credit card for the GitHub side; some partner offers require a card on their own site.
How to claim
1) Go to github.com/education/students (or education.github.com/pack). 2) Start an application under Education benefits settings in your GitHub profile. 3) Submit proof of enrollment; approval lands in the GitHub Education portal. 4) Claim Microsoft offers (Azure $100 credit 18+, etc.) from the pack page.
Expiry
Valid while student status holds (revalidated every 2 years; the pack is typically held until end of 4th year of study). Individual partner offers have their own durations (e.g., Heroku 24 months, GitKraken 6 months + 80% off).
Gotchas
Offers are partner-controlled and change or drop out (see changelog: DigitalOcean's $200 credit sunset July 31, 2026; Bump.sh offer ended Dec 9, 2025; 1Password expanded to 2 years in Oct 2026). The $100 Azure credit is the SAME offer as Azure for Students (claim one, not both — one per person). Copilot student entitlements 'are evolving in 2026' per the official discussion; check the live allowance on activation. This is a GitHub program — included here because the Microsoft offers (Azure credit, and DFTT-tied tooling) flow through it.
SUNSET/CHANGES verified as of 2026-10-22: (1) The classic student software bundle storefront bundles.microsoft.com no longer resolves at all (DNS NXDOMAIN), and microsoft.com/en-us/education/bundles, /education/university, and store.office.com/en-us/bundles all 404 — the 'free 1-year bundle worth $199 (Office/Visio/Project/MATLAB)' and '$649 1-year bundle at a $99 student price (Windows 11 + Office + Visual Studio + Team)' cannot be confirmed on any live official page today; the current student hub (microsoft.com/en-us/education/students) no longer lists them and the bundle value proposition was absorbed into the 50%-off M365 Personal + 2026 college-PC promo (M365 Premium) + Azure Dev Tools for Teaching (which still carries free Visio Professional/Project Professional while enrolled). Treat the $199/$649 bundles as sunfetched/consolidated in 2025–2026; confidence medium (no live page to cite, negative evidence from dead domains). (2) The 2026 'Ultimate College Bundle' (M365 Premium + Game Pass + controller with a Windows PC) officially ended: validity 4/15/2026–8/31/2026, redemption through 9/30/2026 — page now says 'This promotion has ended' (a new back-to-school variant is likely to recur in 2027). (3) Azure for Startups has a new shape: the advertised tiers are $1,000 instant / up to $5,000 with 90-day and 180-day credit clocks (vs. the legacy Founders Program's application-based multi-month grants), and the startup entry point is now the Azure Portal startup home view; the marketing site still cites 'up to $150,000 in credits' as the ceiling. (4) The free 12-month M365 Personal-for-US-college-students offer (announced 2025-09-04, initial signup window through 10/31/2025, expanded to more markets in Oct 2025) — its 2026 availability could not be confirmed from the live page (JS-rendered/timeout); the standing, confirmed offer is the 50% student discount. (5) GitHub pack partner lineup churned: ~83 partner entries now; Gitpod, Replit, DigitalOcean, Codeship no longer appear; Copilot Student (free) and GitHub Pro (3,000 Actions minutes/mo, 180 Codespaces hrs/mo) are the core standing benefits. (6) store.office.com is 404 (Office bundles store discontinued); M365 deals now live under microsoft.com/microsoft-365/college-student-pricing.
Critic corrections
Microsoft for Startups: Outdated. The 2025 investor-referral model was relaunched in June 2026. Startups now apply directly and get up to $200 in Startup credits immediately. Credits can grow to $150,000 through verified milestones: $5,000 after business verification, then $25,000 (5+ Azure workloads over about 60 days), $50,000 (7+ workloads), and $150,000 (10+ workloads plus about $3,000/month usage). No referral is needed for that path; investor-network startups get extra benefits.