AWS commits more than $500M to university cloud and AI training

Student Rewards gives verified university students worldwide access to 12 months of premium training, AWS credits and a certification voucher worth up to $579 per student

AWS Student Rewards is available to verified university students worldwide and sits alongside its Student Builder Groups in more than 60 countries

Amazon Web Services has committed more than $500 million in resources to a new global student training program, giving university students access to cloud and AI courses, AWS credits and certification through its Builder Center platform.

Student Rewards is open to verified higher education students aged 18 or over. Once students confirm their enrollment and complete a Builder Center profile, they receive 12 months of AWS Skill Builder premium, which includes more than 900 courses alongside hands-on labs, certification preparation and game-based learning.

AWS values that first stage at $449 per student. Further rewards are tied to activity on Builder Center, meaning the full package is not handed over simply for signing up.

Students earn badges by publishing articles, commenting and maintaining engagement on the platform. Seven badges unlock $10 in AWS credits, 14 badges add another $20, and 21 badges unlock a voucher for an AWS Foundational Certification exam, valued at $100.

That takes the maximum stated value to $579 per student: $449 in Skill Builder access, $30 of AWS credits and the $100 exam voucher.

Training comes first, but students have to participate

The structure makes Student Rewards part training program and part developer community.

Builder Center itself is available beyond the student offer, with workshops, project sharing, public profiles and topic or regional community spaces open to developers at different levels. The additional credits, premium learning and certification rewards are reserved for verified students.

Verification is handled through SheerID, and AWS says most checks can be completed within minutes. Students then need to upload a profile photo and complete the About section before the 12 months of premium Skill Builder access is activated.

Kim Majerus, Vice President of Global Education and U.S. State & Local Government at AWS, described the program on LinkedIn as a way of lowering the barriers to getting started in technology.

“I got into tech at 16 because someone gave me a chance to explore something I never thought I'd love,” she wrote. “That's exactly what this program does for the next generation.”

The program is explicitly focused on preparing students for cloud and AI careers, with AWS positioning training, practical building experience and certification as parts of the same pathway.

It also sits alongside AWS Student Builder Groups, student-led university communities already operating in more than 60 countries where students work on cloud projects and develop skills with their peers.

AWS puts $579 of potential value behind each student account

The $500 million-plus commitment represents AWS resources rather than a direct cash payment to students, and the full $579 value depends on completing the required Builder Center milestones.

The largest component is available immediately after verification and profile completion. The remaining $130 requires continued participation.

AWS is also linking Student Rewards to practical AI activity. As part of the program, Amazon and Brooks Running have introduced a global student challenge involving generative AI and recycled materials.

For students starting from scratch, Builder Center also offers hands-on AWS workshops before verification, while those who qualify for Student Rewards can use the premium Skill Builder catalog and work toward certification.

AWS says students can begin by signing into Builder Center, completing SheerID verification and finishing their profile. From there, badges earned through participation count toward the additional credits and certification voucher.