Access to professional tools should not depend on where you were born.
That is a simple idea, but it has real consequences. A student studying Computer Science in Nairobi, Bogotá, or Dhaka faces the same coursework, the same career ambitions, and the same daily grind as anyone else. What they do not always have is the same access to the software that makes that work easier. Paid tools are priced for markets that do not always reflect their reality.
The ZillaSoft Scholar Grant is a small attempt to close that gap.
What it is
Each month, one student receives a free Snipzilla Premium licence, for life. Not a trial. Not a discount. No credit card and no expiration. The full product, permanently, yours to keep long after you graduate.
One honest caveat: lifetime means for as long as ZillaSoft operates Snipzilla. I intend that to be many years, but if the service ever shuts down for good, grant licences end with it.
Who qualifies
To be eligible, you must be currently enrolled in a Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technology program at a university or college in an emerging economy. The grant can be received only once; previous recipients are not eligible.
By emerging economy I mean any country the World Bank classifies as low- or middle-income in its current country and lending groups list. If your country appears anywhere on that list outside the high-income group, you qualify.
If you are unsure whether your country qualifies, apply anyway.
How to apply
Applications are open during the first seven days of each month. Apply through our contact form and tell me your program, your university, and your country. No documents are needed to apply. That is all.
How the recipient is chosen
I personally check every application for eligibility: a qualifying program and country. At the end of each month, one recipient is drawn at random from all eligible applications and notified directly. I keep a record of every draw for transparency, but nothing is ever published that could identify an applicant.
Only the selected recipient is asked to prove current enrollment, with a student ID, an official enrollment letter, or a reply from their university email address, before the licence is granted. Once checked, the proof is deleted; I do not keep documents from anyone. If the selected recipient does not reply within two weeks, the licence passes to the next application in the draw order.
If you are not drawn, you do not need to re-apply. Your application stays in the pool for every future monthly draw for as long as you remain enrolled.
Why one per month
ZillaSoft is a one-person, bootstrapped company. I pay for all the infrastructure out of pocket. Keeping the grant to one recipient per month means I can sustain it long term rather than running a big splash and quietly letting it fade. The goal is for this to still be running in five years.
If the business grows, so will the grant.
What is next
The application window opens for the first seven days of every month. If you know a student who would benefit, pass this along.