Learn on Heroku + GitHub

Heroku is a cloud-based, platform as a service (PaaS) for building, running, and managing apps. Students use Heroku to learn and grow their skills by taking advantage of the platform’s fully managed runtime environment coupled with a wide range of tools and integrated services. Heroku makes app deployment fast and easy. The platform’s GitHub integration allows you to connect your Heroku app to your GitHub repo and deploy on every push to GitHub.

We invite you to explore the Heroku developer experience throughout your studies and beyond. Heroku offers a range of low-cost services to help you experiment, learn, and prototype new ideas. For GitHub Students, we are going a step further and adding even more resources to your GitHub Student Developer Pack.

Get the student offer

Special offer for registered GitHub Students

All Heroku applications run in a collection of lightweight Linux containers called dynos. If you are registered with the GitHub Student Developer Pack, you are eligible to receive platform credits worth $13 per month for 24 months (for a total value of $312). You’ll be able to spend those credits on any Heroku product, including Heroku Dynos, Heroku Postgres, and Heroku Data for Redis®, except for third-party Heroku Add-ons. For example, the $13 in monthly platform credits is enough to cover one month of the Eco Dynos plan ($5 for 1000 dyno hours/month), one Mini Heroku Postgres database ($5/month), and one Mini Heroku Data for Redis® database ($3/month).

Heroku offer FAQ

Q: How do I qualify for the Heroku offer in the GitHub Student Developer Pack?

A: If you qualify for the GitHub Student Developer Pack and are 18 years of age or older, then you are eligible to apply for the Heroku offer. See the GitHub Program FAQ for more information.

Q: How can I apply for the Heroku offer in the GitHub Student Developer Pack?

A: You can apply for the program in three easy steps:

  1. Enroll in the GitHub Student Developer Pack (if you’ve not already done so) and click on the Heroku offer.
  2. Sign up for a Heroku account, or if you already have one, log in to your account.
  3. Apply for the Heroku for GitHub Students offer.

Q: Do I need a credit card to redeem the offer?

A: Yes, you will need a valid credit or debit card on file to redeem this offer. In addition, the credit card will be charged for resources consumed in excess of the $13 per month credit. You can add a new card by going to the Billing tab under Account Settings. For step-by-step details, watch the short video tutorial.

Q: I've applied for the Heroku offer in the GitHub Student Developer Pack. When will I hear back?

A: Wait times can vary depending on the volume of requests we receive. However, as long as you applied well in advance of the end of the month, we will do our best to ensure that you receive your credit allocation in a timely manner.

Q: How can I check if I received my credits?

A: You can go to the Billing tab under Account Settings to see if you've received $312 in platform credits to be used over the 24 month program period. It would be listed in the Billing Information section of this tab.

Q: How many platform credits will I receive?

A: Once your application is approved, you will receive one allocation of platform credits worth $312, which will burn down at a rate of $13 per month over 24 months.

Q: When will I receive the platform credits?

A: Once your application is approved, your platform credits will be applied immediately. However, they will be set to begin on the first day of the current month. For example, if your application is approved on the 23rd of October, the $13 in credits will begin on the 1st of October and will expire at the end of October (i.e., the 31st). To make full use of your platform credit allocation, we recommend that you apply for the program at the beginning of the month.

Q: What can I spend my platform credits on?

A: You can spend your credits on any Heroku product, including Heroku Dynos, Heroku Postgres, and Heroku Data for Redis®. Credits do not apply to paid third-party add-ons. For more information on how to provision or change your platform resources, watch the short video tutorial.

Q: If I don’t spend $13 worth of platform credits by the end of the month, will they roll over?

A: No. Any unused credits will expire and do not roll over month to month.

Q: What will happen at the end of the 24-month program period?

A: Any unused platform credits at the end of the program period will expire. You will need to either spin down your resources or be charged for them.

Q: At the end of the program period, can I reapply to the program and get another 24 months worth of credits?

A: No. Previous participants of our current Heroku for GitHub Students program (which began October 2022) cannot reapply for the program.

Q: I was a part of the old Heroku for GitHub Students program (which ran from 2018-2020). Can I apply to this new version of the program?

A: Yes. This new Heroku for GitHub Students offering is open to all current students, regardless of whether they participated previously. However, keep in mind that students may only participate in the new program for one 24-month period.

Q: Can I apply my credits to a Heroku Teams account?

A: Unfortunately, this offer cannot be applied to a Team account. For more information, see the Dev Center article: Collaborating with Other Developers on Your App.

Q: I applied for the Heroku offer with a different or incorrect email address. Can I switch the request to a different account?

A: No. Due to the large volume of requests we receive, we aren't able to transfer your platform credits to a different account once you've applied.

Q: Where do I find help with deploying my app on Heroku?

A: Heroku maintains a wealth of documentation in our Dev Center. We recommend that you start with one of our step-by-step Getting Started on Heroku guides — simply choose your favorite language and follow the steps to get set up on Heroku.

Q: How can I keep up with what’s new at Heroku?

A: Stay in touch with us via RSS and the Heroku Blog.

Q: How do I contact Heroku with questions about the GitHub Student Developer Pack?

A: For questions specific to this program, feel free to contact us at: heroku-students@salesforce.com.

Q: Have more questions?

A: Check out this Knowledge Base article for more information.

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