This is not a solution. You’ve basically completely dropped appropriate educational access to Figma for all Coursera users. People PAID for Coursera programs that heavily utilize Figma and we had access to the appropriate version of Figma with this. Now we don’t. This screams of a bait and switch.

Hi, thank you for your reply.
I’d like to share my perspective, because I feel this situation is very unfair.

I’m currently a student in the Google UX/UI Certificate through Coursera, which I’m taking thanks to the FUNDAE employment program in Spain. This means that I’m officially a student, but also unemployed, and relying on this course to re-enter the job market.

Restricting the Education plan only to certain bootcamps (which are paid and often very expensive) creates a huge barrier for people like me, who are actively learning, building a portfolio, and trying to use Figma to its full potential — but simply don’t have the money to afford extra tools.

I kindly ask you to reconsider this policy, because for students in my situation, access to the full Education plan isn’t just about learning software — it’s about having a fair chance to build a career.

Thank you for understanding.

Hi, thank you for your reply.
I’d like to share my perspective, because I feel this situation is very unfair.

I’m currently a student in the Google UX/UI Certificate through Coursera, which I’m taking thanks to the FUNDAE employment program in Spain. This means that I’m officially a student, but also unemployed, and relying on this course to re-enter the job market.

Restricting the Education plan only to certain bootcamps (which are paid and often very expensive) creates a huge barrier for people like me, who are actively learning, building a portfolio, and trying to use Figma to its full potential — but simply don’t have the money to afford extra tools.

I kindly ask you to reconsider this policy, because for students in my situation, access to the full Education plan isn’t just about learning software — it’s about having a fair chance to build a career.

Thank you for understanding.

Hi Gayani, thanks a lot for your response and for looking into this.

I totally understand the current policy regarding bootcamps and online courses. At the same time, I’d like to highlight that Coursera partners with accredited universities and offers official certifications, which makes it a bit different from short-term bootcamps. Since my coursework requires ongoing collaboration and access to more than 3 files, the Starter plan doesn’t fully cover my study needs.

Is there any possible way to reconsider eligibility for Coursera students, or maybe provide an alternative path (such as uploading proof of enrollment or certificates) so that we can keep benefiting from the Education plan?

I truly value Figma as a learning tool, and it would make a big difference for me to continue my education with the right resources.

Thanks again for your help and guidance!

looks like, unfortunately, there is no resolution.

today is the last day to reverify and sadly we will be going to starters plan. :(

does anyone know if we need to “physically” move files and projects or it will be done automatically?

You will need to do it manually. You can move your files to the Drafts, for example.

Hi Figma team,

Thank you for getting back to us, but with all due respect, this doesn’t feel like a real solution.

Coursera design courses are legitimate, structured programs taken by thousands of learners worldwide who are building serious design careers. Many of us rely on Figma as the industry standard tool, and restricting access to the Education plan puts Coursera students at a huge disadvantage compared to those in traditional universities.

The Starter plan’s 3 file limit simply does not support coursework requirements, collaboration, or building a meaningful design portfolio. We aren’t asking for special treatment — only equal access, since Coursera students are investing time, money, and effort in learning the same skills as other design students.

I hope the Figma team can reconsider this stance or at least explore an alternative pathway (e.g., Coursera-issued verification, limited-time Education access, or portfolio-based verification). Right now, it feels like a whole community of motivated learners is being left behind.

Thanks, and I look forward to a more supportive resolution.

I’m currently dealing with the same issue, with only about four days left before being downgraded to the starter plan. As a design student on Coursera, I heavily rely on Figma’s education plan, and the starter plan is very limiting for my learning. It would be great if Figma could reconsider their policy on this, as it would help so many of us who primarily use this tool for learning.

The I am also doing the Google UX Design Certificate on Coursera, and am on my last course. Would be a shame to loose the access needed to complete the certificat. 

Figma is a brillian product company, I’m sure there is a feasibile product solution for our problem that could be implemented temporarily while you all figure out the long term plan. 

This is going to hurt a lot of students, both in terms of work and morale, and it could potentially be the reason they lose interest in product design entirely.

I too am currently working on my portfolio and like taking the Google UX Design certificate. Losing access would render my efforts, time and money spent on the course practically worthless. Could you please reconsider and grant us an equal opportunity to learn?

am facing the same problem. figma forum have to look in to our cases!

Hello,  
I had access to Figma Education through the Coursera Google UX Design certificate. Now Figma is asking me to reverify, but SheerID rejects my application since Coursera has no admin or institutional email. My reverification deadline is in 4 days, and I’m worried I’ll lose access to my files.  

I already contacted SheerID and submitted a support ticket on the Figma Help Center with screenshots of my Coursera profile. Is there an alternative way to verify, or can Figma extend my Education plan while SheerID processes my request?  

Thanks in advance,  
Ashenafi Tariku
 

Hi - any update for Coursera students? Thanks! 

I encourage people to file complaints with the BBB and FTC. We are having an essential tool stripped away from us and neither company seems to care - this is bait and switch and it’s illegal.

Also, Coursera is the company we all paid for the UX program and it is their responsibility to ensure access is maintained. They have not done so and just keep closing tickets opened on the matter. I am now reaching out to law firms that handle class action lawsuits as I’m sure there are enough Coursera students impacted to qualify.

Wow, so no solution has been made for Coursera students? I’ve been out of the country for 10 days and was hoping this was resolved by now! 

Only One Day Left and there is no response from both companies. 

Hey ​@Zoey Li and everyone following this thread — I’m really sorry to hear about the trouble with verifying your accounts. We’re taking a closer look at the reports you’ve shared here.

In the meantime, I want to share this important update:

I hope this eases some of the pressure. Thank you for your patience while we work to get this sorted.

Hi Figma team,

Just following up since we haven’t heard back yet. I understand priorities shift, but silence on this thread unfortunately reinforces the feeling that Coursera learners are being treated as “second-class” design students.

It’s ironic, Figma positions itself as a tool for everyone to design together, yet when a huge global learning community asks for fair access, the best we’re offered is a 3-file Starter plan that barely covers the basics of a single course module.

At this point, it feels less like a limitation and more like a decision to exclude a growing community of non-traditional learners. I’d really encourage the team to revisit this not responding won’t make the problem go away, but finding a solution would show Figma truly values accessibility in design education.

I’m having the same issue as well. I doubt they’ll continue to allow Coursera students continue on the Education plan, and they’ll likely rework something with Google, so students pay a minimum amount for a plan but with some sort of discount. Since Figma recently went public, they likely are facing pressure from investors to increase revenue. Allowing thousands of people to access their tool for free for however long it takes them to complete the certification (which could be years) is likely not well received by their investors. That’s my guess. This is more a failure on Coursera’s part vs Figma’s part to not have worked with Figma beforehand to work something out. 

I found a workaround that isn’t perfect but might help. If you’re currently enrolled in a university or college, Figma allows you to verify for their education plan (higher education only, not boot camps). You’d need to sign up with your school email and verify it, which means creating a fresh new account. Your existing Figma/Coursera account will remain on the starter plan, so you’d likely have to manually transfer your old project files. This involves opening your old projects, copying the design content, creating a new file in the new account, and pasting it there. As far as I know, this is the only way to go about it. If anyone knows a better way to move the files, please share. It’s a bit of a hassle, but hopefully, this helps some of us continue learning with the tool.
untill figma decides to find a better solutions for us, this this the only way, or if you have the means, you can pay for the full seat, (only the full seat has figma desings in it). hope this helps

That’s not a workaround, that’s just authenticating access through a different educational institution, something you could have done before, without being a Coursera user - many of us do not have that option.

I finished my formal degrees ages ago and am taking Coursera courses to advance my skills. Coursera is being cut off from appropriate Figma access for courses that depend on it. This is a major fail between the two companies, but it’s on Coursera to make it right as us students paid them for these certification programs and the accompanying Figma access to complete them.

I’m also facing same issues and it’s just a day left, I’d really appreciate any help I can get right now? Also are we going to lose access to our already saved files?

So do our files get deleted, or will they at least still be in there?