diff --git a/src/App.css b/src/App.css
index 29179d0..4ba061e 100644
--- a/src/App.css
+++ b/src/App.css
@@ -1891,6 +1891,85 @@
   padding: 0;
 }
 
+/* ── Study Signup Page ── */
+.study-signup-page-card {
+  max-width: 680px;
+}
+
+.study-signup-form {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 0.5rem;
+  margin-top: 1rem;
+}
+
+.study-signup-form label {
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-body);
+  font-size: 0.82rem;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  color: var(--brand-muted);
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  letter-spacing: 0.07em;
+  margin-top: 0.25rem;
+}
+
+.study-signup-form input {
+  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04);
+  border: 1px solid rgba(201, 168, 76, 0.25);
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  padding: 0.7rem 0.9rem;
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-body);
+  font-size: 1rem;
+  color: var(--brand-warm-white);
+  outline: none;
+  transition: border-color 180ms;
+}
+
+.study-signup-form input:focus {
+  border-color: rgba(201, 168, 76, 0.6);
+}
+
+.study-signup-error {
+  font-size: 0.9rem !important;
+  color: #e57373 !important;
+  margin: 0.25rem 0 0 !important;
+}
+
+.study-signup-success {
+  font-size: 1.05rem !important;
+  color: #81c784 !important;
+  margin: 0.5rem 0 1rem !important;
+}
+
+.study-signup-actions {
+  display: flex;
+  gap: 0.75rem;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  margin-top: 0.75rem;
+}
+
+.study-signup-switch {
+  font-size: 0.88rem !important;
+  color: var(--brand-muted) !important;
+  margin: 0.5rem 0 0 !important;
+}
+
+.study-signup-toggle {
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  padding: 0;
+  font-family: var(--brand-font-body);
+  font-size: 0.88rem;
+  color: rgba(201, 168, 76, 0.85);
+  text-decoration: underline;
+  text-underline-offset: 2px;
+}
+
+.study-signup-toggle:hover {
+  color: var(--brand-gold);
+}
+
 .subscribe-card {
   max-width: 560px;
 }
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 3f42155..bb93bbd 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Link, NavLink, Routes, Route, useLocation, useNavigate, useParams } fro
 import AdminPage from './AdminPage'
 import QASection from './components/QASection'
 import ContactForm from './components/ContactForm'
-import { ColossiansStudyIndexPage, ColossiansStudyNotesPage, ColossiansStudySectionPage, StudyLandingPage } from './colossiansStudy'
+import { ColossiansStudyIndexPage, ColossiansStudyNotesPage, ColossiansStudySectionPage, StudyLandingPage, StudySignupPage } from './colossiansStudy'
 import { SpotifyIcon } from './icons'
 import type { SiteContent, ArchivedSeries, StudyProgram } from './content'
 import { DEFAULTS } from './content'
@@ -1931,6 +1931,7 @@ export default function App() {
         <Route path="/" element={<LandingPage content={content} />} />
       <Route path="/start-here" element={<StartHerePage content={content} />} />
         <Route path="/study" element={<StudyLandingPage content={content} />} />
+        <Route path="/study/signup" element={<StudySignupPage />} />
         <Route path="/study/:studySlug" element={<ColossiansStudyIndexPage content={content} />} />
         <Route path="/study/:studySlug/notes" element={<ColossiansStudyNotesPage content={content} />} />
         <Route path="/study/:studySlug/:sectionId" element={<ColossiansStudySectionPage content={content} />} />
diff --git a/src/colossiansStudy.tsx b/src/colossiansStudy.tsx
index d9322f3..4d3a861 100644
--- a/src/colossiansStudy.tsx
+++ b/src/colossiansStudy.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
-import { Link, useParams } from 'react-router-dom'
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useState, useCallback } from 'react'
+import { Link, useNavigate, useParams } from 'react-router-dom'
 import type { SiteContent, StudyProgram, StudySection } from './content'
 import { DEFAULT_COLOSSIANS_STUDY_SECTIONS } from './colossiansStudyData'
 
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export function StudyLandingPage({ content }: Props) {
           <div className="study-course-hero-actions">
             {firstActiveStudy && <Link to={`/study/${firstActiveStudy.slug}`} className="btn-primary">Start Learning</Link>}
             <Link to="#study-tracks" className="btn-secondary">Browse Tracks</Link>
+            <Link to="/study/signup" className="btn-start-here">New here? Create a free account →</Link>
           </div>
         </div>
       </section>
@@ -238,6 +239,133 @@ export function StudyLandingPage({ content }: Props) {
   )
 }
 
+export function StudySignupPage() {
+  const navigate = useNavigate()
+  const [mode, setMode] = useState<'signup' | 'login'>('signup')
+  const [username, setUsername] = useState('')
+  const [password, setPassword] = useState('')
+  const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false)
+  const [message, setMessage] = useState('')
+  const [done, setDone] = useState(false)
+  const [loggedInAs, setLoggedInAs] = useState('')
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    readJson<{ authenticated: boolean; username: string }>('/api/study-auth/status')
+      .then(data => {
+        if (data.authenticated) {
+          setDone(true)
+          setLoggedInAs(data.username ?? '')
+        }
+      })
+      .catch(() => {})
+  }, [])
+
+  const submit = useCallback(async () => {
+    if (!username.trim() || !password.trim()) {
+      setMessage('Please enter a username and password.')
+      return
+    }
+    setBusy(true)
+    setMessage('')
+    try {
+      const data = await readJson<{ username: string }>(`/api/study-auth/${mode}`, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ username, password }),
+      })
+      setDone(true)
+      setLoggedInAs(data.username ?? username.trim().toLowerCase())
+    } catch (err) {
+      setMessage(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Something went wrong. Please try again.')
+    } finally {
+      setBusy(false)
+    }
+  }, [mode, username, password])
+
+  return (
+    <main className="thanks-page" aria-label={mode === 'signup' ? 'Create account' : 'Sign in'}>
+      <div className="thanks-card study-signup-page-card">
+        <p className="eyebrow">Free Student Account</p>
+        <h1>{mode === 'signup' ? 'Create Your Account' : 'Welcome Back'}</h1>
+
+        {done ? (
+          <>
+            <p className="study-signup-success">You're signed in as <strong>{loggedInAs}</strong>. Your notes are ready on every lesson.</p>
+            <div className="study-signup-actions">
+              <button type="button" className="btn-primary" onClick={() => navigate('/study')}>Go to Study Hub</button>
+              <Link to="/study" className="btn-secondary">Browse Tracks</Link>
+            </div>
+          </>
+        ) : (
+          <>
+            <div className="study-signup-form">
+              <label htmlFor="signup-username">Username</label>
+              <input
+                id="signup-username"
+                type="text"
+                value={username}
+                onChange={e => setUsername(e.target.value)}
+                placeholder="yourname"
+                autoComplete={mode === 'signup' ? 'username' : 'username'}
+                autoFocus
+              />
+              <label htmlFor="signup-password">Password</label>
+              <input
+                id="signup-password"
+                type="password"
+                value={password}
+                onChange={e => setPassword(e.target.value)}
+                placeholder="At least 8 characters"
+                autoComplete={mode === 'signup' ? 'new-password' : 'current-password'}
+                onKeyDown={e => e.key === 'Enter' && submit()}
+              />
+              {message && <p className="study-signup-error">{message}</p>}
+              <div className="study-signup-actions">
+                <button type="button" className="btn-primary" disabled={busy} onClick={submit}>
+                  {busy ? (mode === 'signup' ? 'Creating...' : 'Signing in...') : (mode === 'signup' ? 'Create Account' : 'Sign In')}
+                </button>
+              </div>
+              <p className="study-signup-switch">
+                {mode === 'signup'
+                  ? <><span>Already have an account? </span><button type="button" className="study-signup-toggle" onClick={() => { setMode('login'); setMessage('') }}>Sign in instead</button></>  
+                  : <><span>New here? </span><button type="button" className="study-signup-toggle" onClick={() => { setMode('signup'); setMessage('') }}>Create a free account</button></>  
+                }
+              </p>
+            </div>
+
+            <div className="study-signup-why-grid" style={{ marginTop: '2rem' }}>
+              <article className="study-signup-why-card">
+                <p className="study-signup-why-icon" aria-hidden="true">📝</p>
+                <h3>Notes on Every Lesson</h3>
+                <p>Save your own notes per lesson — up to 500 notes across all tracks.</p>
+              </article>
+              <article className="study-signup-why-card">
+                <p className="study-signup-why-icon" aria-hidden="true">📖</p>
+                <h3>Space to Go Deep</h3>
+                <p>Each note holds ~2,000 words so you can write as much as you need.</p>
+              </article>
+              <article className="study-signup-why-card">
+                <p className="study-signup-why-icon" aria-hidden="true">🔒</p>
+                <h3>Private to You</h3>
+                <p>Your notes are tied to your account. Nobody else can read them.</p>
+              </article>
+              <article className="study-signup-why-card">
+                <p className="study-signup-why-icon" aria-hidden="true">⚡</p>
+                <h3>No Email Required</h3>
+                <p>Just a username and password. Free forever. Stay signed in 30 days.</p>
+              </article>
+            </div>
+          </>
+        )}
+
+        <div style={{ marginTop: '1.5rem' }}>
+          <Link to="/study" className="btn-secondary">Back to Studies</Link>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </main>
+  )
+}
+
 export function ColossiansStudyIndexPage({ content }: Props) {
   const { studySlug } = useParams<{ studySlug?: string }>()
   const studies = getStudies(content)