> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Education Program

> Free access to Trace for students and universities. Apply with your school email to get full AI-powered PCB design capabilities for coursework, research, and student projects.

## Overview

Trace offers an Education Program for students and universities building hardware. Accepted applicants get access to Trace's full capabilities -- Agent mode, Plan mode, one-click manufacturing, and component sourcing -- at no cost for educational use.

The program is designed for:

* **Undergraduate and graduate students** taking PCB design, embedded systems, or electronics courses
* **Student engineering teams** building for competitions, senior capstone, or research labs
* **University instructors** running credited PCB or FPGA courses who want students on modern tooling
* **Research groups** doing rapid board iteration for prototypes

***

## How to Apply

<Steps>
  <Step title="Visit the application page">
    Go to [buildwithtrace.com/education/apply](https://buildwithtrace.com/education/apply).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill out the form">
    Provide your name, university, school email, expected graduation year, and a short description of what you're building or studying.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirmation">
    You'll receive an email confirming your application was received. The team reviews applications and responds within a few business days.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get access">
    Approved applicants receive access to Trace's full AI capabilities for educational use.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Use your `.edu` or university-issued email address. Applications from personal email addresses take longer to verify.
</Note>

***

## What's Included

| Feature                                                | Included |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | -------- |
| Full desktop application                               | Yes      |
| Ask mode (read-only AI Q\&A)                           | Yes      |
| Agent mode (AI-driven editing)                         | Yes      |
| Plan mode (multi-step planning)                        | Yes      |
| One-click manufacturing (PCBWay, Pikkolo)              | Yes      |
| Component sourcing and BOM management                  | Yes      |
| Version history and cloud sync                         | Yes      |
| All EDA importers (KiCad, Altium, gEDA, Allegro, PADS) | Yes      |
| Manufacturing export (Gerber, BOM, PnP, STEP)          | Yes      |

***

## Eligibility

* Currently enrolled at an accredited university or college
* Using Trace for coursework, research, or student projects (not commercial production)
* Valid school email address

***

## Sponsored Events

Trace sponsors student engineering events and hardware hackathons. We're the platform partner for IEEE student conferences and participate in university PCB courses.

If you're organizing a student hardware event or running a university course that involves PCB design, reach out at [hello@buildwithtrace.com](mailto:hello@buildwithtrace.com) -- we provide licenses, workshop materials, and technical support for educational programs.

***

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How long does access last?" icon="clock">
    Education access is valid through your expected graduation year. If you need to extend it (e.g., for graduate school), reach out and we'll update your account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use boards designed in Trace for competitions?" icon="trophy">
    Yes. Student competitions, capstone projects, hackathons, and research publications are all valid educational use. The only restriction is commercial production for sale.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can our whole team apply?" icon="users">
    Each team member should apply individually with their own school email. There's no limit on how many students from the same university can be approved.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I graduated. Can I still use Trace?" icon="user-graduate">
    Education access ends at graduation. After that, you can continue using Trace on the Free plan (unlimited Ask mode) or upgrade to a paid plan for full capabilities. Check [Billing & Plans](/guides/billing) for pricing.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>