Step 0 — Create a Hacker News Account (Do This First)
You need a Hacker News account to RSVP for events and sign into the deals portal. It’s free — just pick a username and password at the signup page. No email required to create one, but add your email in profile settings so you don’t get locked out.
Heads up: HN sometimes limits new signups during high-traffic periods. If registration fails, wait 24 hours and try again.
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Step 1 — Find a YC University Event Near You
YC runs campus events at universities across the US (and internationally). These aren’t hidden — they’re announced on:
Universities YC has already visited: Harvard, Yale, MIT, Columbia, Cornell, Cornell Tech (East Coast tour). Plus UK stops at Cambridge, Imperial, and Oxford. More schools are being added continuously through 2026.
Not at a target university? YC said they’re expanding to more campuses. Follow their events page and RSVP the moment something pops up near you. Also check if your school’s startup or CS club can request a YC visit — they’ve done 20+ university trips in the past year.
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Step 2 — RSVP and Attend the Event
RSVP through the event registration link (you’ll use your Hacker News account). Then show up in person. That’s it. No pitch, no application, no interview.
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Step 3 — Check Your Email
After the event, YC sends a confirmation email with access instructions for the deals portal. Keep this email — you need it.
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Step 4 — Sign Into the Deals Portal
Go to deals.ycombinator.com/students and sign in with the same Hacker News account you used to RSVP. Your eligibility gets detected automatically based on event attendance.
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Step 5 — Verify Your Email and Redeem
Verify your email address once signed in. Then browse all available deals and click through to redeem each one individually.
| Thing to Redeem | What to Do |
|---|
| AWS $10K | Click deal → Follow AWS signup → Credits applied |
| Azure $10K | Click deal → Microsoft account → Credits applied |
| OpenAI $2.5K | Click deal → OpenAI platform account → Credits applied |
| Grok $2.5K | Click deal → xAI account → Credits applied |
| Anthropic $500 | Click deal → Anthropic console → Credits applied |
| 20+ devtools | Click each → Follow partner signup → Individual redemption |
Critical: Re-verify your email every 30 days. If you forget, you lose access to the portal. Set a calendar reminder on day 1. Your total access lasts 1 year from the date of the qualifying event.
