Cursor Guide

Cursor is a VS Code-based IDE with AI coding agents built into the editor. It is popular among professional developers and offers a free year for students.

Getting Started

  1. Download Cursor from cursor.com
  2. Install and open it. It works like VS Code, so your extensions and settings can carry over.

Free Year for Students

Cursor offers a free one-year Pro subscription to eligible university students.

How to get it:

  1. Create a Cursor account using your university email at cursor.com
  2. Go to the Cursor Student Program page
  3. Complete the SheerID verification with your .edu email
  4. After verification, check Settings > Billing in Cursor to confirm the discount was applied

Troubleshooting: Some students are redirected to the dashboard after verification without confirmation. If this happens, check your billing settings as the discount may already be applied. Make sure your Cursor account email matches your verified student email. Contact hi@cursor.com if the discount is not showing.

This offer is available in specific countries. Check the student page to confirm eligibility.

Pricing

If you are not eligible for the student discount:

  • Free (Hobby): Limited AI requests
  • Pro ($20/mo): Unlimited AI requests, priority access
  • Pro+ ($60/mo): More compute, faster models
  • Ultra ($200/mo): Maximum compute allocation

See cursor.com/pricing for details.