Educator’s guide to the Education Plan

If you’re an educator, follow the steps in this guide to obtain free access to Autodesk software through the Autodesk Education Plan. Procedures for getting product access for yourself and your students are described in the following sections. 

The method for getting products for yourself as an educator depends upon whether someone has already assigned them to you.

If products have been assigned, you should have received an email from Autodesk telling you which products a colleague has assigned and where you can download them. The steps to access the software depends upon whether you have an Autodesk account.

• If you have an account, see these instructions.
• If you don’t have an account, see these instructions.

If products haven't been assigned, you can still obtain free Autodesk software on your own. As an educator, you can create an account and confirm your eligibility for the Autodesk Education Plan. Follow these steps:

1. Confirm your eligibility  using your school-provided email by going to the Get Products page and clicking Get Started. This involves validating your role as an educator with a qualified educational institution.
Note: You may need to submit additional documentation.


2. Create an Autodesk account by clicking the Complete Account Setup link in the email received after completing your education profile. To learn more about account setup, see Create an account for students and educators.
   
   
3. Download and install your software from the Get Products page.
   Important: Even if your software is already installed on the device you’re using, you must click Download on the product card to trigger your product entitlement.


4. Start your product, sign in to Autodesk account, and begin using your software.
   Note: Once you’re signed in on your browser, you may need to click Go to Product to return to your software.

Educators who meet our eligibility requirements must obtain and manage their own Autodesk Account. You can assign and unassign Autodesk products to a maximum of 250 students per product. Students do not have to individually confirm their own eligibility, as it is tied to the educator’s eligibility. However, each student must have their own Autodesk Account.

Before your class term begins, educators should refer students to the Student’s guide to the Education Plan and have them follow the steps under Students installing products assigned to them.

Follow these steps:

1. Confirm your eligibility  using your school-provided email by going to the Get Products page and clicking Get Started. This involves validating your role as an educator with a qualified educational institution.
 submit additional documentation


2. Create an Autodesk account by clicking the Complete Account Setup link in the email received after completing your education profile.
   
   
3. Access the products you want to assign


4. Assign products to your students

View these short videos to learn more:

• Get products and create an account (3.02 min.)
• Learn how to download Autodesk products (2:01 min.)
• Assign and unassign seats (2:29 min.)

Educators can ask students to establish their own eligibility and obtain software access for themselves. To guide your students in doing this, refer them to the Students obtaining products for themselves section of the Student’s guide to the Education Plan.

Educators can choose to use a network license server to deploy licenses for up to 3,000 concurrent students per product. Classroom or lab machines will be managed using serial numbers. You can either ask your school IT admin to deploy the products or do it yourself. See the Admin’s guide to the Education Plan.

Note: To use some products, such as Fusion 360 or InfraWorks, students must confirm their own eligibility and have their own Autodesk Account.

Since there’s a 250 student limit per product, when one class terms ends and another will soon begin, you’ll want to unassign students from their product assignments so that you can reassign these seats to incoming students.

To remove students from their product assignment, follow the steps in Add and remove users. 

Note: Your students don’t get notified automatically when they’re unassigned from a product. If students wish to continue to get free educational access to Autodesk software, they can follow the “Students installing products for themselves” section of Student’s guide to the Education Plan.

To continue your access to Education software, you must renew your eligibility every year.  You can check your renewal date by going to the Get Products page. Sign in to view your personalized banner at the top of the page. Also be sure to check your email, as Autodesk will send an email reminder 30 days before your eligibility expires.

To renew educational access to Autodesk software, see Renewing access to Education software. 

For a short video about renewing, view Renew education access (1:35 min.).

Note: If you miss your renewal date, you must restart access to your education software and any subscriptions you had, even if a product is already installed.