Obtaining Software for Educational Institutions
Common questions about free access to Autodesk software made available to educational institutions.
Software for Educational Purposes
Autodesk provides educational licenses for free(*) access to software to qualified educational institutions worldwide.
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Same software as professionals -- Autodesk software products licensed through the Education Community contain the same features and functionality available to industry professionals through a commercial, paid product subscription.
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Usage restricted to educational purposes -- Software subject to an Educational license may only be used for purposes directly related to learning, teaching, training, research and development that are part of the instructional functions performed by an educational institution. It may not be used for commercial, professional or for-profit purposes. (See the applicable software license agreement .)
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Usage timeframe -- Educational licenses are currently available for 3-year terms. You can return to get a new license and download the most recent version as new versions become available on Education Community.
If you're a student or educator: Students and educators also have free* access to Educational stand-alone licenses for their personal devices. Software and cloud-based services provided without charge to students and educators with Educational licenses may be used only for purposes directly related to learning, training, research, or development. The software and cloud-based services may not be used for commercial, professional, or any other for-profit purposes.
See: Educational Licenses for Students & Educators
Where to Start
Determine if Your Educational Institution Qualifies
Your educational institution may qualify if it is a secondary or
post-secondary educational institution that is accredited by an
authorized governmental agency within the applicable local, state,
provincial, federal, or national government and has the primary
purpose of teaching enrolled students.
See: Which
Educational Institutions Qualify for Free Software from
Autodesk?
Set Up an Autodesk ID for Use with Your Education Account
Before you can access free software, you need to create an account for your school on the Education Community site. To do this, you can create an account from the Create Account button on the product download page or click Signing Up on the Education Community Sign In window.
This process sets up an Autodesk ID (if you don't already have one) and password that you can use to access other Autodesk sites. Before you can use this ID for the Education Community, you will need to activate it.
Download Sofware from Education Community
Once you have an Education account, you can go to the Education Community product page to download software to deploy for your educational institution. You will need to determine whether you need a multiple-seat stand-alone or network license.
See: Download and Install for Educational Institutions
Educational institutions can get access to the current version plus up to two prior versions (where available) of our software. For a list of available software, go to Education Community Free Software.
Need a different language? All Autodesk software is available in English. Different products may be available in additional languages. The Education Community provides access to the same Autodesk software professionals use in all available languages. For more information about any product, go to the appropriate Autodesk product page.
Set Up Your Educational Institution's Maintenance Plan
Educational institutions with an existing Educational license under active subscription prior to October 27, 2014, will continue to receive contracted maintenance plan services until the expiration date. To continue receiving maintenance plan benefits, just download and activate an Educational license for a current version of Autodesk software through Education Community.
See: About Maintenance Plans for Educational Institutions
* Free Autodesk software and/or cloud-based services are subject to acceptance of and compliance with the terms and conditions of the software license agreement or terms of service that accompany such software or cloud-based services. Software and cloud-based services subject to an Educational license may be used solely for Educational Purposes and shall not be used for commercial, professional or any other for-profit purposes.
See Also:
- About Education Access to Free Software
- How to manage Education accounts for multiple educational institutions
- Get Access to Education Software
Need Assistance?
For assistance with your Education account, find out how to contact Autodesk Support.