canva pro for free
Wondering if you can get Canva pro for free? You're automatically eligible if you're a primary or secondary school student. Source: Patrick Hertzog/AFP

Canvaan online drag and drop design tool — lets you create hundreds of types of visual content for personal or professional use. Using just this one simple app that’s both available on the computer and on mobile, everyone can make a resume, social media post, poster, logo, and even an infographic pop and get the attention they need.

Now, there is more to Canva than meets the eye. Students, for example, can benefit from the presentation templates available on Canva for their assignments. If you’ve tried Canva before, you’ll notice that you have to pay for that beautiful template you wanted to use for your group project once it’s done. What that means is the template you chose is exclusively for Canva Pro users.

Canva Pro, the all-access version of the platform, allows you to use 100% of the resources available. This paid feature makes it easy for you to create professional designs with premium resources like Brand Kit, Magic Resize, over 100 million stock photos, Background Remover, and more. But did you know that students can get their hands on this feature without paying?

Here’s how to get Canva Pro for free:

canva pro for free

Apps like Canva are here to stay. Source: Don Juan Moore/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP

Give the free trial a try

Just like any other reputable app, Canva has a free trial period that lasts for up to a month for those who are not ready to commit to a fee. A new addition to Canva Pro is Canva Pro for Teams — which you can use to collaborate on designs with two or more people at the same time.

Before your 30-day trial ends, Canva will remind you about it, so that you can cancel it at no cost. Forget to cancel, however, and you’ll be paying the Canva Pro fee at US$12.99/month or US$119.99/year.

Canva Pro for Education

Here’s some good news for K12 teachers and their students: Canva Pro for Education is 100% free. All you need to do is sign up with your education email address or upload proof of your teaching certification and employment, after which you’ll be upgraded to Canva for Education within a few days.

Primary and secondary students who taught by an educator with Canva Pro for Education can get invited to use it for free. Teachers just need to click Class, then People, and choose Invite People. It is important to note that Canva for Education is not currently available for college and university students, and only for K12 schools and districts.

canva pro for free

Gone are the days when only papers and pencils are needed in a K12 classroom. Students can now design and collaborate on their assignments on Canva Pro for free. Source: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP

Can you get Canva Pro for free?

In order to apply for Canva Pro for Education, you need to currently be in one of these roles:

  • A certified K-12 teacher from a formally accredited school, who is currently in a teaching position
  • A certified K-12 school librarian
  • A certified K-12 learning support assistant or teacher
  • A certified K-12 curriculum specialist
  • A certified teacher at a technical or vocational school, serving primary or secondary students
  • A homeschool educator who is registered with a government organisation or other certification entity
  • Google Certified Educators (GCEs), Google Certified Trainers (GCTs), and Microsoft Innovative Educators (MIEs) who are teaching at a K-12 (primary or secondary) level

All you need to do next is to contact Canva here. If you already have a Canva account, just log in to your account, go to the sign-up page, and follow the verification process to upgrade your account to Canva Pro for Education. Existing designs will transfer over to the new account.

Canva Pro free of charge for Github Student Developers 

If you have joined the Github Student Developer Programme, then you can claim your Canva Pro account for free instead of paying for one whole year. This is due to Github’s partnership with Canva. 

To get Canva Pro for free under the Github Student Developer Programme, you need to sign up here, or sign up for Canva with Github, then activate the account.