ChatGPT for Teachers was not opened in a browser on October 3, 2026, so that card needs a live review. Gemini for Education and the Canva Education eligibility page were read in a browser that day. The Canva sign-up form itself did not load.
We never ask for your school name, your district, or your documents. Verification happens on the vendor's site. The answers on this page stay in your browser. Marking a path done saves only which path you chose.
Start here
ChatGPT for Teachers
Needs a live review. The OpenAI pages did not load in a browser on October 3, 2026. The notes below are from the written spec and are not confirmed.
What it is
The written spec describes a free ChatGPT workspace for verified US K-12 educators, with image generation and education-grade privacy, free through June 2028. That date and those features still need a live review.
Who qualifies
The written spec says it is for people currently employed by an accredited K-12 school or district in the United States, including teachers, staff, school leaders, and district administrators, and not for students. Preschool and child care staff outside an accredited K-12 school should use the free consumer path. This eligibility line still needs a live review.
Steps
- Open chatgpt.com/k12-verification.
- Verify with your school or district email. The spec says SheerID handles the check.
- If asked, upload a school document that shows your first name, last name, school name, and a date in the current school year. Do that on OpenAI's site, not here.
- Create a workspace or join your district's workspace, then set your role and grades.
Have ready
- Your school email
- One dated school document, if the instant check does not work
If it does not work
If the check says you do not qualify, use the free consumer path below. ChatGPT's ordinary free plan is the fallback. Its image limits were not checked in a browser here.
Sources: OpenAI, a free version of ChatGPT built for teachers; OpenAI Help Center, ChatGPT for Teachers
Last checked 2026-10-03.
Start here
Gemini for Education
Checked in a browser on October 3, 2026.
What it is
Gemini for Education is Google's Gemini app for schools. The education page said it is free of charge for qualifying institutions. A school can get it by signing up for Google for Education Fundamentals and turning on only the Gemini app, even if the school uses a different main set of tools. It is also included in every Google Workspace for Education edition. On that page, data in the app is not human-reviewed and is not used to train models. Admins decide who has access. Google also sells a paid add-on called Google AI Pro for Education. This path is the free app, not that add-on.
Who qualifies
It comes through the school. You use it when your school has Google for Education and an admin has turned the Gemini app on for your account. A private preschool may not have that account. If you are not sure, ask your director, and use the free consumer path in the meantime.
Steps
- If your school already uses Google Workspace for Education, open gemini.google.com and sign in with your school Google account.
- If Gemini says you do not have access, ask your school's tech admin to turn on the Gemini app. The education page says admins control who has access.
- If your school does not use Google yet, the same page says the institution can sign up for Google for Education Fundamentals and enable only the Gemini app. That is a school decision. You do not upload anything here.
Have ready
- Your school Google account, if you have one
If it does not work
Use the free consumer path below. A personal Google account is not Gemini for Education. Keep children's names, photos, and work out of a personal account. The consumer terms page was not opened in this browser.
Sources: Google for Education, Gemini for Education; Try Gemini, linked from that page
Last checked 2026-10-03.
Start here
Canva for Education
Eligibility page checked in a browser on October 3, 2026. The sign-up form at canva.com/edu-signup did not load, so the exact form fields still need a live review.
What it is
Canva Education is free for eligible teachers and students. The eligibility page says it is for K-12 (primary or secondary) teachers and institutions, and it is not for colleges and universities. This note does not list premium or AI features, because that list was not on the page we read.
Who qualifies
A certified K-12 teacher at a formally accredited school who is currently teaching. The page also includes certain school librarians, learning support staff, curriculum specialists, and certified teachers at technical or vocational schools that serve primary or secondary students. Canva lists these as not eligible: preschool or daycare assistants, certified K-12 teachers who are not currently teaching, public librarians, and homeschool educators who are not licensed or employed by a K-12 school. Parents are not eligible. Access lasts while you stay eligible, and Canva asks people to re-verify every 3 years.
Steps
- Open the Canva Education sign-up page. The form fields were not visible in this browser, so treat the field list as still needing a review.
- The eligibility page says a verified educational email domain gets access right away.
- Without that email, upload one approved document: a teaching license, proof of employment at a school, a school ID that shows you teach, or proof the organization is an accredited K-12 school. Canva says that review is within 48 hours. Teachers in the United States only need a copy of their teaching license, along with teachers in the other countries named on Canva's page.
Have ready
- A school email, if you have one
- Or your teaching license
If it does not work
If you are a preschool or daycare assistant, or your school is not accredited K-12, use Canva's ordinary free plan. We have not checked that plan's feature list in a browser.
Sources: Canva Education eligibility guidelines; Canva Education sign-up
Last checked 2026-10-03.
Start here
If the education plans are not for you
Canva's education plan is for K-12 schools, and ChatGPT for Teachers is described as accredited K-12 only. Most private preschools and child care centers do not qualify for those two. Here is what works for free instead. None of these is a dead end.
- ChatGPT's free plan. Anyone can use the ordinary free ChatGPT plan. The written spec says it can create images, with limits OpenAI does not publish as a fixed count. That help page did not load here, so this line needs a live review.
- Gemini with a personal Google account. A personal Google account can open the regular Gemini app. That is a consumer account, not Gemini for Education. Keep children's information out of it. The consumer terms page was not opened in this browser, so this line needs a live review.
- Canva's free plan. Canva's free plan is separate from Canva Education and is the fallback when the education plan says no. Its feature list was not checked in this browser, so this line needs a live review.
A personal account is not your school's private workspace. Do not put a child's name, photo, or work into it.
Last checked 2026-10-03.