How to Set Up Canva for Education for Teachers and Students

Canva for Education Setup: Quick Answer

Canva for Education is free for K-12 (primary and secondary) teachers, their students, and eligible schools. Teachers get access by verifying their teaching status with Canva. Students get access when a teacher invites them to a class. It is not available to colleges or universities, which use Canva for Campus instead.

Still deciding between plans? Read the Canva for Education vs Canva Pro comparison first.

Who Can Use Canva for Education?

According to Canva's eligibility guidelines, you can use Canva for Education if you are currently active as:

• A certified K-12 teacher at a formally accredited school
• A K-12 school librarian, learning support assistant, or curriculum specialist
• A teacher at a technical or vocational school serving primary or secondary students
• An accredited K-12 school, school district, or department of education

Students do not sign up on their own eligibility. They join through an eligible teacher or school.

Canva for Education is not available to:

• Colleges, universities, and their students or staff (Canva for Campus is the higher-education option)
• Private, volunteer, or online tutors
• Homeschool educators who are not licensed or employed by a K-12 school
• Parents of K-12 students
• Teachers who are certified but not currently teaching

Teachers: Get Verified

1. Go to Canva's education sign-up page and choose to sign up as a teacher.
2. Use your school email address if you have one. A verified education email domain gives you access right away.
3. No school email? Upload an approved document instead, such as your teaching license, a school ID that shows your teaching status, or proof of employment at a school. Canva reviews uploads within 48 hours.
4. Once approved, your account switches to Canva for Education.

Canva asks every Canva for Education user to re-verify every 3 years, so keep your school details up to date.

Already Have a Canva Account?

You do not need a new account. Log in to your existing Canva account, open the Canva Education sign-up page, and complete the verification steps. Canva says all of your existing designs transfer over to Canva for Education.

Make sure you are signed in to the account you actually want to upgrade before you start, especially if you have both a personal and a school account.

Invite Students to Your Class

Once you are verified, you can invite students from your class settings (Profile icon, then Settings). Canva offers four ways:

• Invite link: under People, select Invite people and copy the link to share with your class.
• Invite code: under Classes, choose a class, select Add people, then Via code. This suits students without email. Codes refresh automatically every 4 hours.
• Email invitations: enter student email addresses and set each person's role to Teacher or Student.
• Google Classroom: under Invite people, choose Google Classroom and import a class.

Students: How to Join

If your teacher sends an invite link, code, or email, open it, sign in, and accept the invitation to join the class.

If you do not have an invite yet, you can sign up with your school email address:

1. Choose Education, then I'm a student.
2. Select Check eligibility, then Get started.
3. Canva shows school teams that match your email. Select your school and choose Request to join.
4. A school team admin reviews the request.

If your school does not appear, ask your teacher to invite you directly.

What Canva for Education Includes

Canva says Canva for Education includes most of Canva's premium features, plus tools built for teaching:

• Thousands of educational templates for lessons, worksheets, presentations, and class projects
• Sharing work and assignments with students, and reviewing their designs
• Integrations with classroom tools, including Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Canvas, Schoology, D2L, Moodle, and Blackboard

Schools and districts that sign up institution-wide can also get admin features such as SSO deployment and onboarding support.

Troubleshooting Canva for Education Access

• Wrong account: check which email you are signed in with before you verify or accept an invite.
• Still waiting for approval: document-based verification can take up to 48 hours.
• Invite code not working: codes refresh every 4 hours, so ask your teacher for the current one.
• Cannot join a class: the school team may have reached its 500-member limit, or the invitation has not been accepted yet.
• College or university student: Canva for Education does not cover higher education. Check whether your institution offers Canva for Campus.

If you still cannot get access, contact the teacher or school administrator who manages your class, or Canva support.

Final Thoughts

Setting up Canva for Education is simple once you follow Canva's own process: teachers verify, then invite students, and everyone works in the same class. It is free for eligible K-12 schools, so the only steps that matter are using the right account and the right invitation.

Comparing options first? See Canva for Education vs Canva Pro: Key Differences.

Sources Checked

• Canva Education — Canva
• Canva Education eligibility guidelines — Canva
• Invite teachers and students to your class — Canva Help Center