For students enrolled in accredited educational programs, and instructors looking to sharpen their tools — the Student + Teacher Edition provides a free special version of Gaea designed to support coursework, personal projects, and educational content creation.

This edition is perfect for:

• Students of Game Design, Visual Effects, Environment Art, and related fields.
• Teachers and mentors building teaching assets or expanding their own skillset.

Check Eligibility

To ensure eligibility, we require some basic information about your current academic status and how Gaea will support your studies and projects. Please follow the instructions carefully to complete your application.

• Must be 16 years, or older, as required by the region where you reside and can consent to the collection of your information.
• Must be enrolled in an accredited school, university, or academic institution with your field of study being directly related to Gaea (ie. VFX, Game Development, CG Art).
• Have a student (or teacher) ID for verification, valid for at least 6 months.
  • We need this to verify your student status. Sensitive information may be redacted. Ensure your image is clear. Applications with illegible IDs will be rejected.
• Must not be in a country currently under embargo by the US Government.

Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee approval.

QuadSpinner reserves the right to review each application and make determinations of eligibility at its sole discretion.

Can I use my license at school?

If you are a fully publicly-funded school or institution, or you are a student or teacher using Gaea individually for learning purposes, you are welcome to use the license at school.

If Gaea is part of the curriculum, while you may use the license for your own personal use, the institution must purchase a Classroom License.

Can I use the license commercially?

The purpose of these educational licenses are for learning and teaching. If you are using Gaea for commercial purposes, you must purchase a commercial license.

However, prizes - including cash prizes - or other forms of compensation for educational contests, competitions, or similar events are allowed.

What is the difference between the Student + Teacher License and the Classroom License?

The Student + Teacher License is for individual learning. It is available to students and teachers for personal use.

The Classroom License is for institutions. It allows the institution to deploy Gaea across their labs and classrooms, and to issue licenses to students and teachers.

How long can I use this license?

Student + Teacher Licenses are given for 1 year, and can be renewed for free at the end of the term if you qualify.

Classroom Licenses are provided in an annual subscription format.

Do educational licenses include a free upgrade to the next major version?

Yes! If the next major version comes out during the term of your license, you will receive a free upgrade. You are also welcome to keep using the existing version.

Why did my student license request get rejected?

Please see the email you received for the reason. Most commonly, if your student ID is unreadable, your form is incomplete or in a non-English languag, or if you are not enrolled in an accredited institution, your request may be rejected.