# Hulu Scraps Standalone Student Plan and Lifts Legacy Subscribers to $3.99 a Month

> Hulu ends its standalone student discount and moves legacy student subscribers to $3.99 a month, while new students are routed to a $6.49 Disney+ bundle.

- Published: 2026-10-24T09:13:09+00:00
- Section: Business
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-24/hulu-ends-student-discount-price-increase
- Source: [The Cool Down](https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/hulu-student-subscription-price-increase-legacy-bundle/)

## Key takeaways

- Hulu will charge legacy student subscribers $3.99 a month on its ad-supported plan instead of $1.99.
- New students can no longer sign up for a discounted Hulu-only plan and are funneled to a $6.49 bundle with Disney+.
- The student bundle requires annual enrollment verification, and unverified accounts convert to the standard $12.99 Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads.

[Hulu](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000004i/hulu) is ending its standalone student discount and raising the price for legacy student subscribers to $3.99 a month on its ad-supported plan, up from $1.99. [The Cool Down](https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/hulu-student-subscription-price-increase-legacy-bundle/) reported the change, which applies to students grandfathered into the discontinued Spotify-Hulu bundle. New students can no longer sign up for a discounted Hulu-only plan.

## Hulu's Student Pricing Change and the Disney+ Bundle

Hulu is charging legacy student subscribers $3.99 a month on its ad-supported plan instead of $1.99, according to The Cool Down. The increase is the first major one for students grandfathered into the discontinued Spotify-Hulu bundle who stayed on the $1.99 promotional price after the bundle stopped accepting new users.

Students signing up are being funneled to a $6.49-per-month bundle that includes the ad-supported versions of Hulu and [Disney+](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00n5sko/disney). Students who only wanted Hulu are now being pushed into a larger package rather than the lowest-cost option.

The new student bundle requires subscribers to verify each year that they are enrolled in an eligible college or graduate program and have a valid student ID. If a student can no longer be verified, whether because they graduated, left school, or missed the check, the discount ends automatically. The subscription then converts to the standard Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads at $12.99 per month.

## Hulu's Bundle Savings and Subscriber Scale

Hulu is a US subscription streaming platform offering on-demand video and live TV, operating as a wholly owned Disney subsidiary since 2024, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The same records show bundle plans offer 45-47% savings compared to purchasing services separately. Disney owns approximately 67% of Hulu and is integrating the platform into Disney+ through Project Gemini, the same records show.

## Hulu's Recent Programming Moves

Hulu's new X-Files reboot, led by Ryan Coogler with Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel, features a premise about two FBI officers in a long-shuttered division, suggesting it may be a sequel, Screenrant reported in October 2026. The reality competition 'The Circle' moves to Hulu for Season 8, debuting November 17 with Tinx as host, Yahoo reported in October 2026. Kurosawa Kiyoshi and Shimizu Takashi are among seven directors for Disney+/Hulu's six-part Japanese horror anthology 'Night Tales Club,' premiering January 2027, Yahoo reported.

## What Happens to Unverified Student Accounts

Subscribers close to graduating or unable to confirm continued enrollment will see their monthly cost rise automatically to $12.99. The increase does not apply to all student accounts and is limited to the legacy plan.

## Companies in this story

- [Hulu company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000004i/hulu) · website: https://www.hulu.com
- [Disney+ company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00n5sko/disney) · website: https://www.disneyplus.com

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