Google Colab Pro Free for US Students & Faculty
Source: https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/education/colab-higher-education
Description
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+ 1 Google offers free 1-year Colab Pro subscriptions to students and faculty at US-based higher education institutions. This is the full Colab Pro plan (normally $11.99/month, ~$144/year value) with premium GPU access (T4, L4, A100), extended session runtimes, increased memory, and a monthly allowance of compute units. Verified through SheerID. Available while supplies last.
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+ 6
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+ 7 1. Go to the Colab Pro signup page
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+ 8 2. Sign in with your Google account (the same one you use for Colab)
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+ 9 3. Look for the "No cost to students and educators" button
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+ 10 4. Click it to begin the SheerID verification process
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+ 11 5. Fill out the SheerID form with:
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+ 12 • Your name and institutional email
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+ 13 • Select your US-based university from the dropdown
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+ 14 6. Critical: Use the same email address as your Colab/Google account in the SheerID form — if you enter your .edu email but are logged into a different Google account, verification will not be recorded
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+ 15 7. SheerID will either instantly verify you or request additional documentation
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+ 16 8. Once verified, your free Colab Pro subscription activates immediately
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+ 17
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+ 18 Caveats:
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+ 19 • You must be located in the US at the time of verification (VPNs may cause issues)
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+ 20 • Available while supplies last — Google has not disclosed how many subscriptions are available
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+ 21 • SheerID will communicate via email until verification is complete
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+ 27 You get the exact same benefits as a paid Colab Pro subscription:
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+ 28
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+ 29 FeatureDetails
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+ 30 Premium GPUsPriority access to T4 GPU, potential access to L4 and A100 GPUs
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+ 31 Extended RuntimesLonger notebook session times (up to ~24 hours vs ~12 for free tier)
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+ 32 More MemoryHigh-memory VM option for larger datasets and models
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+ 33 Compute UnitsMonthly allowance of compute units (100 CU/month)
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+ 34 Background ExecutionContinue running notebooks with the browser closed
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+ 35 Terminal AccessBuilt-in terminal in notebooks
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+ 36
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+ 38
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+ 39 GPUApprox. CU/hourBest For
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+ 40 T4~11.7 CU/hrStandard ML tasks, inference, fine-tuning small models
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+ 41 L4~20 CU/hrComplex neural networks, large image processing
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+ 42 A100~62 CU/hrLarge-scale deep learning, training large models
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+ 43
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+ 45
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+ 46 • Slideshow Mode: Turn notebooks into interactive presentations with live code execution — great for teaching
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+ 47 • AI Feature Controls: Instructors can toggle AI features on/off per notebook to ensure students learn fundamentals
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+ 52
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+ 53 • Who qualifies: Students AND faculty at US-based higher education institutions
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+ 54 • Location requirement: Must be physically located in the US at the time of verification
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+ 55 • Verification method: SheerID (third-party identity verification)
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+ 56 • Account requirement: Must have a Google account
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+ 57 • Supply-limited: Available while spots remain — not guaranteed indefinitely
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+ 62
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+ 63 • The free subscription lasts 1 year from activation
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+ 64 • You can re-verify your student or faculty status 335 days after initial signup
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+ 65 • Re-verification extends your subscription for another year if you are still eligible
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+ 66 • No auto-renewal to paid plan — when your free year ends, you simply revert to the free Colab tier
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+ 72 • Compute units are shared — if you burn through your monthly CU allowance on A100 sessions, you will be throttled back to free-tier resources for the rest of the month
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+ 73 • GPU availability is not guaranteed — even with Pro, you are not guaranteed an A100. GPUs are allocated based on demand and your remaining CU balance
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+ 74 • Save your work frequently — sessions can still disconnect due to inactivity or resource limits
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+ 75 • Pair with Google Drive for persistent storage — Colab VMs are ephemeral
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+ 76 • Related offer: Google AI Pro (Gemini Advanced) is also free for students globally — separate program, can be used alongside Colab Pro
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+ 77 • Alternative GPU options: If you need more guaranteed GPU time, also check Kaggle (30 hrs/week free), Lightning AI, SageMaker Studio Lab, or Paperspace Gradient
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+ 78 • This program was announced in July 2025 by Google
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+ 79
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+ 81
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+ 82 Sources:
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+ 83 • Google Blog — Colab for Higher Education
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+ 84 • Colab Pro Signup Page
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+ 85 • Google Colab FAQ
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+ 86 • Jeff Dean on X — Colab Pro Announcement
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+ 87 • Talk Android — Colab Pro Free Education
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