Back to School 2026
Google announced back-to-school updates for 2026, including free AI tool access for students and new learning features in Search, Gemini, and YouTube to support personalized study and classroom teaching.
Google introduced new student offers ahead of the 2026 school year, including one year of free Google AI Pro for eligible U.S. college students, providing access to Gemini Spark, higher usage limits, and 5 TB of storage. International eligible students can access Google AI Plus at no cost, featuring increased usage limits, 400 GB of storage, and bundled discounts on Google AI Pro and YouTube Premium. The offers are available for sign-up immediately.
Gemini now includes a dedicated student hub with learning tools such as study notebooks that use diagnostic quizzes to identify strengths and knowledge gaps, generating personalized study plans. A new feature, Gemini Live, allows students to request and discuss Deep Research reports with Gemini while on the move. These tools aim to help students stay organized and focus on targeted learning goals.
Google Search is adding features to assist students, including interactive visuals for complex topics, practice quizzes for subjects and standardized tests, and step-by-step learning with Lens. Students can also organize projects using notebooks and create custom files to streamline their studies. These updates are designed to make learning more accessible and structured.
Google Classroom now offers teacher-led AI tools that allow educators to tailor AI experiences to their curriculum and monitor student progress in real time. The connected Classroom app in Gemini enables teachers to draft lesson plans securely, supporting personalized learning approaches. These tools are intended to help educators maintain control while leveraging AI to enhance teaching effectiveness.