GitHub Copilot student discount no longer allows selecting GPT-5.4 or Claude, with some models limited to Auto mode only amid plan reorganization
On March 12, 2026, GitHub announced that, in conjunction with a reorganization of GitHub Copilot's free plan for students, some premium models such as Claude Opus, Claude Sonnet, and GPT-5.4 will no longer be available for selection.
This became clear through an official GitHub community discussion and an email sent to users of GitHub Copilot's student plan.
Table of Contents
GitHub Education reorganized
Until now, GitHub had offered GitHub Education, which included GitHub Student Developer Pack, allowing verified students to use features of GitHub's paid plan, GitHub Pro, for free and to access some partner services for free or at discounted prices.
GitHub Education also provided GitHub Copilot for free, and according to GitHub, about 2 million students currently use it.
On March 12, 2026, GitHub announced that it would revise its free offering of GitHub Copilot for verified students and manage it under a new GitHub Copilot Student plan.
Free access to GitHub Copilot for students will now be managed under the GitHub Copilot Student plan together with the benefits of the existing GitHub Education program.
GitHub says that the new student plan will appear in the GitHub UI, but the existing allocation of Premium Request units (PRU) will not change.
GPT-5.4 and Claude can no longer be selected
With the transition to the GitHub Copilot Student plan, free access for students will continue, but some premium models such as GPT-5.4, Claude Opus, and Claude Sonnet will no longer be manually selectable.
GitHub explains that the reason for this change is that while Copilot's features and the models available for use are rapidly expanding, the student community is also continuing to grow, and the company wants to continue offering the service for free to students around the world in a sustainable way over the long term.
Under GitHub Copilot Student, GPT-5.4, Claude Opus, and Claude Sonnet can no longer be selected individually, but these models will still be available in Auto mode, where models are automatically selected based on model performance and rate limits.
GitHub also revealed that over the coming weeks it may make additional adjustments to the models available and the usage limits for some features.
It says it will test the specifics while taking student feedback into account.
Conclusion
On March 12, 2026, GitHub announced that, in conjunction with a reorganization of GitHub Copilot's free plan for students, some premium models such as Claude Opus, Claude Sonnet, and GPT-5.4 will no longer be available for selection.
Even after the change, these models will continue to be available in Auto mode, where the model is selected automatically.
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I've been using JavaScript more than my native language since birth. I am nowhere and everywhere on the internet.
I build web apps and browser extensions in TypeScript as a web frontend programmer. I released Shadowban Scanner, a tool that detects shadowbans on X, and Restore Link Card, a tool that brings back link cards. Media outlets in Japan and abroad covered both tools. For iGEM 2023, I built the Wiki for Team Japan-United and helped the team win the Grand Prize. On my blog, I cover news about X and social media, test and troubleshoot bugs, and share frontend development insights.
