Google One AI Premium Now Free for U.S. College Students Until June 2026

In a strategic push to expand its presence in higher education, Google is offering U.S. college students free access to its One AI Premium plan, waiving the usual $20 monthly fee until June 30, 2026.

The announcement, confirmed by Google spokesperson Alex Joseph, positions Google alongside other major AI players like OpenAI and Anthropic, who are also rolling out AI-focused educational perks. With AI increasingly reshaping academic workflows and study habits, the move highlights how competitive the edtech landscape has become for generative AI platforms.

How Students Can Sign Up

Eligible students must register before June 30, 2025, and use a valid .edu email address to verify their academic status. Once enrolled, students will have full access to the AI Premium plan at no cost for up to a year beyond the enrollment deadline. Google will notify users ahead of the plan’s expiration to allow time for cancellation.

What the Plan Includes

The Google One AI Premium plan bundles together a suite of powerful tools tailored to academic productivity, including:

• 2TB of cloud storage across Google Drive, Photos, and Gmail

• Gemini Advanced, powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google's response to ChatGPT Plus

• Gemini Deep Research, offering advanced summarization of dense materials and the ability to convert written content into audio

• NotebookLM Plus, designed for study guidance and lecture note summarization

• Integration with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides via the Gemini assistant

• Access to Google Veo 2, a text-to-video model for creative projects

• Whisk, a multimodal AI tool that lets users combine text and image prompts for generative content creation

Google says these features are geared toward helping students “study smarter”, using AI to simplify complex subjects, streamline workflows, and foster creativity.

Why Academia Is a Critical Battleground for AI

With generative AI transforming everything from research to exam prep, the academic sector has become a prime target for companies looking to build long-term loyalty. Students represent not only a vast user base but also the next generation of professionals likely to bring their tool preferences into the workplace.

By giving students free access to advanced AI tools, Google is investing in early adoption—a strategy similar to how tech giants previously courted young users with free email accounts, cloud storage, and productivity software.

Moreover, with generative AI increasingly being used to challenge traditional web search, this initiative serves a dual purpose: protecting Google’s core business while introducing users to its next-gen AI ecosystem.

Competing With OpenAI and Anthropic

Google’s move follows recent announcements from OpenAI and Anthropic, both of which unveiled free or discounted offerings aimed at students and educators. The competition underscores how generative AI firms are aggressively pursuing institutional and student buy-in.

Whether used to power academic research, automate study summaries, or create dynamic presentations, these AI tools are becoming integrated into everyday student life.

Stay tuned to The Horizons Times for more coverage on AI in education, student tech initiatives, and the latest developments from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic.