Cloud options:

• Microsoft Azure offers credits for edu emails I think, and I think you can renew it annually. Also check their B1 servers. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/students
• Google free tiers: https://docs.cloud.google.com/free/docs/free-cloud-features#free-tier
• AWS | Not sure on this one, their website is confusing, but look into it: https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/
• GitHub “student developer pack” https://education.github.com/pack
• Oracle cloud “always free” options, bottom of this page: https://www.oracle.com/cloud/free/
• InterServer(never heard of them before) offers 1 year of web hosting: https://my.interserver.net/student_signup.php

Self-Host locally options:

Honestly you can probably find a N100 or N150 miniPC online for cheap, like $200 USD or less. Install Proxmox(or just install Ubuntu or whatever), install Docker+DockHand, and then install Tailscale and from your laptop/computer with Tailscale on it. You’ll be able to remotely access it, spin up whatever servers you want, and I doubt your campus IT will even see anything due to the tailnet mesh.

If you’re not living on campus, then even better, just self host your own stuff.

without taking 30% cut

Sorry I must have missed something, do you happen to have a PC game distribution platform that has even half the features Steam does and takes less than 30%?

No?

Cool, just making sure.