WordPress.com targets the next generation of web creators with a free student plan | TechCrunch

Last day to exhibit your breakthrough to 10,000+ tech leaders at Disrupt is on Oct 2. Book Exhibit Table Now. Disrupt doors open Oct. 13. Get your pass and bring someone with you at 50% off. REGISTER NOW. WordPress.com maker Automattic is expanding into education with a new, free product designed for teachers and their classes called WordPress.com Education. The suite for classrooms includes a full WordPress.com domain for each student, plus free domain names (on the .blog or .art domains) and plug-in support. Teachers can provide students with access to the program for free for the first year, without having to put a credit card down or enter a trial. This allows teachers to use the technology in courses that teach students how to build websites, or for other classroom needs such as group projects that incorporate website building. Unveiling the product at its annual WordCamp U.S. conference on Monday, the company noted that the new Student plan isn’t a stripped-down version of its product. It includes 6 GB of storage, backups, staging sites, and other tools, as well as support for plug-ins, SFTP/SSH, phpMyAdmin, and Studio Sync. Automattic is best known for its website and blog h