AI Tools Guide for SCU Students

What it does: Google's flagship AI assistant. Chat, brainstorm, write, analyze documents, generate images, summarize content, and get help with code. Gemini Pro is integrated across Google Workspace (Docs, Slides, Sheets, Gmail), so it works inside the tools you already use for schoolwork.

SCU student access: SCU students get Gemini through Google Workspace for Education (included with your university account). Features available to Education Plus users 18 and older include Gemini in Docs (Help Me Write), Gemini in Slides (generate images and slides), Gemini in Forms (auto-create forms), and Gemini in Vids (create videos from text prompts).

SCU has a campus-wide contract with Google that covers all SCU affiliates. Your data and prompts are not used to train Google's AI models. Daily usage limits vary by model: the fast model is uncapped, the thinking model allows roughly 30-50 prompts per day, and the pro model allows roughly 100 prompts per day. Each student gets their own individual quota. Image generation is capped at around 100 images per day.

Limitations: The Workspace integration is strong for productivity tasks but less flexible than standalone AI assistants for open-ended creative or technical work.

No credit card required.

What it does: A VS Code fork with AI deeply integrated into every part of the editor. Code completions, chat, and Composer mode (describe changes across multiple files and Cursor applies them). Direct access to the best available models: Claude Opus 4.6, Claude Sonnet 4.6, GPT-5.3 Codex, Gemini 3 Pro, and more, with the ability to choose which model handles each task.

Student access: Verified students get a full year of Cursor Pro free ($240 value). Sign up at cursor.com/students and verify with your SCU .edu email via SheerID. Includes 500 fast premium requests/month and unlimited slow requests.

Why it's the top pick: Model quality matters enormously for code generation. Cursor Pro gives you direct access to the most capable models (Claude Opus, GPT-5.4) and lets you choose which model to use per task. GitHub Copilot's student plan recently removed direct selection of premium models (as of March 2026), routing students through "Auto mode" instead. For serious development work, the ability to pick the right model and use Composer for multi-file edits makes a real difference.

Limitations: Cursor is a standalone editor (you switch from VS Code rather than adding an extension). The transition is smooth since it's a VS Code fork, but it's still a new app to install. After the free year, it's $20/mo.

No credit card required.

What it does: Industry-standard design tool for UI/UX, prototyping, and collaboration. The AI features include Figma Make (generates UI designs from text prompts), auto-layout suggestions, and AI-powered asset search.

Student access: Higher education students get the full Professional plan free, verified via figma.com/education. This includes 3,000 AI credits/month for Figma Make, unlimited files, and collaboration features.

Limitations: Some advanced AI features are limited compared to Organization/Enterprise plans. K-12 students do not get Figma Make or Sites access. AI credits are monthly-capped at 3,000.

No credit card required.

What it does: Google's best-in-class image generation model, Nano Banana 2 (technically Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), generates and edits images directly within Gemini. Produces highly realistic images with strong text rendering, supports image editing and style transfer, and can leverage real-time web search to inform image creation. Also available as Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image) for even higher quality.

SCU student access: SCU students get Gemini through Google Workspace for Education, which includes image generation in Slides and other tools. Students who signed up for Gemini Advanced before the January 2026 deadline get the most capable image generation models. Even without Gemini Advanced, Workspace for Education provides image generation capabilities.

Key features: Text rendering and translations within images, upscaling to 2K/4K, image editing and inpainting, and the ability to generate images informed by web search context. Nano Banana 2 delivers Pro-level quality at Flash speed.

Limitations: Generation limits depend on your account tier (Workspace for Education vs. Gemini Advanced). Some advanced features may require Gemini Advanced, and the free student sign-up window has closed. Check gemini.google/students for any new offers. Student data is not used to train AI models when using Google Workspace for Education.

No credit card required. Use your SCU Google account.

What it does: Gemini's Deep Research automates multi-step web research that would normally take hours. Give it a research question and it creates a research plan, searches dozens of sources, synthesizes findings, and produces a long-form, source-cited report. It iterates through multiple rounds of search and analysis automatically, surfacing connections and evidence you might miss manually.

Student access: Deep Research is available through Gemini Advanced (now called Google AI Pro). Students who signed up for the free one-year offer before the January 2026 deadline have access. Deep Research is not included in the base Workspace for Education plan. Check gemini.google/students for any new offers. Deep Research runs on Gemini 3 Pro.

Limitations: Deep Research queries take several minutes to complete (it's doing extensive work). Best for substantial research questions rather than quick lookups. The free student plan sign-up window has closed. If you missed it, Gemini Advanced / Google AI Pro is $19.99/mo.

No credit card required.

What it does: A cloud-based Jupyter notebook environment where you can write and run Python code with AI assistance. Gemini is built in to help generate code, explain errors, and suggest analyses. Free tier includes GPU and TPU access for machine learning. Upload CSVs, connect to Google Sheets, create charts, run statistical analyses, and train models.

Free tier: Generous free tier with AI code assistance (Gemini-powered), GPU access (usage-limited), and unlimited notebooks. No installation required; runs entirely in the browser.

Limitations: Requires some Python comfort (though Gemini helps a lot with code generation). Sessions time out after periods of inactivity. GPU access has daily usage caps on the free tier.

No credit card required.

What it does: AI-powered presentation, document, and website builder. Describe your topic and Gamma generates a full slide deck with content, layout, and visuals. Supports export to PowerPoint, PDF, PNG, and Google Slides. Real-time collaboration included.

Free tier: 400 one-time AI credits (enough for approximately 10 full presentations). Credits do not refresh. Gamma branding/watermark on free presentations.

Limitations: Credits are one-time only and never replenish. Branding on exports. Plus plan ($8/mo) removes branding and provides unlimited AI generations.

No credit card required.

What it does: AI-powered app builder. Describe what you want to build in plain language, and Bolt generates a full-stack web application with code, deploys it, and lets you iterate via conversation. Supports databases, hosting, and deployment out of the box.

Free tier: 1 million tokens/month with a 300,000 token daily cap. Includes public and private projects, website hosting, unlimited databases, and up to 333,000 web requests.

Limitations: Bolt branding on deployed sites. No custom domain support. 10MB file upload limit. Free plan is sufficient for learning and prototyping but not production apps.

No credit card required.