Autodesk offer free 3 year software licenses under their assistance program for Students, Faculty and Displaced Workers.

This is an awesome program for students and/or the unemployed to get their hands on some professional tools (including 3D modeling software), hone their skills and knowledge of software to make them an asset to an employer or maybe even start your own business.

Software that may be suitable for 3D modeling for 3D Printing with Shapeways include Autodesk Product Design Suite, 3ds Max, Inventor, Maya and AutoCad.

* Free products may not be used for commercial, professional, or other for-profit purposes, and are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies the software.

via Between The Lines.