On August 19, Google opened a dedicated student hub inside the Gemini app and said eligible college students can get a paid Google AI plan free for one year[1]. Students in the U.S. get Google AI Pro, while students in more than 140 other markets get Google AI Plus. On the same day, Google also began rolling out upgrades to study notebooks and Deep Research inside Gemini Live[1][2].
One place to start for students
The new addition is a student-only hub inside the Gemini app[1]. From there, students can create a study notebook, generate flashcards, take a practice quiz, and reach the rest of the learning tools in one pass. It lives at gemini.google.com/students, and Google says future learning tools will land in the same hub[1].
Most of these features already existed, scattered across the app. For a student opening Gemini for the first time, the harder problem is knowing where to begin. Collapsing the entry points into a single place reads as an attempt to lower that first barrier.
The hub is available on mobile and web to signed-in consumer accounts in every language the Gemini app supports[1]. Rollout to school-issued Google accounts and to users who meet minimum age requirements will take place over the coming weeks[1].
AI Pro in the U.S., AI Plus everywhere else
The free offer splits by region. Eligible students in the U.S. get one year of Google AI Pro, normally 19.99 USD per month (about 3,200 yen)[1]. That tier includes 4x higher usage limits in Gemini compared with non-subscribers, access to Gemini Spark, Gemini inside Gmail and Google Docs, 5 TB of storage, and Google Health Premium[1].
Eligible students outside the U.S. get one year of Google AI Plus[1]. That tier covers Gemini Omni, 2x higher usage limits in Gemini, and 400 GB of storage. After the free year, the plan automatically renews at 4.99 USD per month (about 790 yen) or the local currency equivalent[1].
The offer applies in over 140 markets where Google AI Plus is available, with the U.S., Bolivia, Albania, Canada, Macau, Hong Kong, and Tunisia named as exceptions[1]. Japan is not on the exclusion list, so students there can sign up if they meet the criteria. The deadline to redeem is December 31, 2026, and a valid payment method is required at sign-up[1]. Because the plan rolls into the standard price unless it is cancelled, the real decision arrives a year from now.
※1 USD = 159 JPY (based on the August 20, 2026 close)
Study notebooks head toward calendar integration
Study notebooks, which launched in June, are being extended as well[1]. Upload class materials such as lecture notes and Gemini builds a gameplan that breaks the subject into pieces. A diagnostic quiz identifies knowledge gaps, and from there Gemini creates short lessons and quizzes, with a real-time dashboard tracking progress[1].
Within the coming weeks, lessons will be able to include graphs and images. With the student's permission, Gemini will also read exam dates and assignment deadlines from a syllabus and add them to Google Calendar[1]. The point is to join two tasks that normally stay separate: feeding materials into a study tool, and keeping a schedule.
Google also points to interactive visualizations as a way to make dense material easier to follow[1]. Ask how DNA works in 3D and the answer arrives as a structure that can be rotated and zoomed, alongside tables, grids, and simulations built for the specific question.
Deep Research runs inside Gemini Live
The other change that started the same day is Deep Research inside Gemini Live[1]. Ask for research mid-conversation and Gemini builds a multi-step report in the background. The chat can be closed, the screen locked, or another conversation started while it works. A notification arrives when the report is ready, and from there the results can be questioned and refined hands-free[1].
Deep Research has always assumed a wait measured in minutes. Making it asynchronous and voice-triggered turns it into something a student can fire off while commuting or between tasks.
Summary
On August 19, Google launched a student hub in the Gemini app and began offering eligible college students a free year of Google AI Pro in the U.S. and Google AI Plus elsewhere. The redemption deadline is December 31, 2026, and the plan converts to a paid subscription automatically once the free year ends. Google also started rolling out graphs in study notebooks, Google Calendar integration, and Deep Research inside Gemini Live. The shape of the announcement is clear enough: pull the learning features into one hub, and reach students early.
Source: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-app/student-offer-google-ai/
