Exclusive for YC event attendees: Get $500 in Anthropic API credits, $2,500 in OpenAI API credits, $250 in Exa credits, plus 20+ more startup tools.
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How to claim it
- Attend a YC event. Attend a YC event first - this includes YC Startup School, AI Startup School, YC meetups, or other official YC gatherings
- Log in to the portal. Visit
deals.ycombinator.comOnce you've attended, log in to the YC Deals portal at - Filter for students. Filter by "Students who've attended YC events" to see available deals
- Activate the deals. Browse the 21+ available deals and activate the ones you want
- Redeem your credits. Redeem credits directly with each partner using the provided codes or links
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Who's eligible
Who can get the YC Deals for Student Founders - $3,000+ in Startup Credits student discount?
Students who have attended a Y Combinator event (past or current). This includes YC Startup School, AI Startup School, YC meetups, and other official YC gatherings.
How long does YC Deals for Student Founders - $3,000+ in Startup Credits student access last?
Access duration varies by partner. Most credits are one-time grants. You must have attended a YC event to qualify - this is not open to all students.
Is the YC Deals for Student Founders - $3,000+ in Startup Credits student discount available worldwide?
Available to YC event attendees worldwide. Some individual partner offers may have geographic restrictions.
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What's included
Y Combinator offers YC Deals for Student Founders - an exclusive program giving students who've attended YC events access to over $3,000 in API credits and startup tools. The portal includes 21+ deals from top AI and developer tool companies including Anthropic, OpenAI, Exa, Vapi, Roboflow, and more. You need to have attended a YC event (Startup School, AI Startup School, meetups) to access these deals.
- Anthropic API Credits ($500)Get $500 in Anthropic API credits for Claude. Build with Claude's advanced reasoning capabilities - perfect for coding assistants, research tools, and AI-powered applications.
- OpenAI API Credits ($2,500)Receive $2,500 in OpenAI API credits to experiment with OpenAI's models. Great for building AI features, prototyping MVPs, and reducing development costs.
- Exa Credits ($250)Access Exa's Web Search API with $250 in credits. Build AI applications with real-time web search capabilities - ideal for RAG applications, research tools, and AI agents.
- Vapi - Voice AI PlatformCredits for Vapi's AI developer platform. Build voice agents, conversational AI, and voice-powered applications.
- Roboflow - Computer VisionAccess Roboflow's end-to-end computer vision platform. Train models, annotate data, and deploy vision AI without infrastructure headaches.
- 21+ Total Partner DealsThe YC Deals portal shows 21 deals available to student founders, covering AI APIs, dev tools, hosting, databases, and more from YC partner companies.
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Fine print & gotchas
- Must have attended a YC event (Startup School, AI Startup School, meetups) — not open to all students.
- YC events are competitive — you typically apply and must be accepted to attend.
- Most credits are one-time grants that expire (typically within 12 months); duration varies by partner.
- Each deal is claimed separately in the portal, and some partner offers have geographic restrictions.
- The deals portal is login-gated — exact offers and values aren't publicly listed and can change without notice.
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Common questions
Who is eligible for YC Deals for Student Founders?
You must have attended a Y Combinator event - this includes YC Startup School, AI Startup School, YC meetups, and other official YC gatherings. Both past and current attendees qualify. This is NOT open to all students.
How do I attend a YC event to get access?
YC runs events like Startup School and AI Startup School throughout the year. These are competitive to get into - you typically need to apply and be accepted. Follow YC on social media and check ycombinator.com for upcoming events and application windows.
Is this the same as being accepted into YC?
No, this is separate from the main YC accelerator program. YC Deals for Student Founders is a perk for students who've attended YC events - you don't need to be accepted into a YC batch to access these deals.
How many deals are available?
The YC Deals portal shows 21 deals available to student founders as of January 2026. This includes AI APIs (Anthropic, OpenAI, Exa), developer tools (Vapi, Roboflow), and other startup resources.
How long do the credits last?
Duration varies by partner. Check each partner's specific terms when redeeming. Most credits are one-time grants that last until depleted or expired (typically 12 months).
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