diff --git a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseGeneration/StudyProjectGenerator.java b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseGeneration/StudyProjectGenerator.java
index 8904dcbd29ce..cb161f197130 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseGeneration/StudyProjectGenerator.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseGeneration/StudyProjectGenerator.java
@@ -401,11 +401,11 @@ public class StudyProjectGenerator {
 
   // Supposed to be called under progress
   public List<CourseInfo> getCourses(boolean force) {
-    if (OUR_COURSES_DIR.exists()) {
+    if (OUR_COURSES_DIR.exists() && !force) {
       myCourses = getCoursesFromCache();
     }
     if (force || myCourses.isEmpty()) {
-      myCourses = execCancelable(EduStepicConnector::getCourses);
+      myCourses = execCancelable(() -> EduStepicConnector.getCourses(myUser));
       flushCache(myCourses);
     }
     if (myCourses.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicConnector.java b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicConnector.java
index 6037be15c049..e25605116986 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicConnector.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicConnector.java
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@ public class EduStepicConnector {
   }
 
   @NotNull
-  public static List<CourseInfo> getCourses() {
+  public static List<CourseInfo> getCourses(@Nullable StepicUser user) {
     try {
       List<CourseInfo> result = new ArrayList<>();
       int pageNumber = 1;
-      while (addCoursesFromStepic(result, pageNumber)) {
+      while (addCoursesFromStepic(user, result, pageNumber)) {
         pageNumber += 1;
       }
       return result;
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public class EduStepicConnector {
     return null;
   }
 
-  private static boolean addCoursesFromStepic(List<CourseInfo> result, int pageNumber) throws IOException {
+  private static boolean addCoursesFromStepic(@Nullable StepicUser user, List<CourseInfo> result, int pageNumber) throws IOException {
     final URI url;
     try {
       url = new URIBuilder(EduStepicNames.COURSES).addParameter("is_idea_compatible", "true").
@@ -127,8 +127,13 @@ public class EduStepicConnector {
       LOG.error(e.getMessage());
       return false;
     }
-    final StepicWrappers.CoursesContainer coursesContainer = EduStepicClient.getFromStepic(url.toString(), 
-                                                                                           StepicWrappers.CoursesContainer.class);
+    final StepicWrappers.CoursesContainer coursesContainer;
+    if (user != null) {
+      coursesContainer = EduStepicAuthorizedClient.getFromStepic(url.toString(), StepicWrappers.CoursesContainer.class, user);
+    }
+    else {
+      coursesContainer = EduStepicClient.getFromStepic(url.toString(), StepicWrappers.CoursesContainer.class);
+    }
     addAvailableCourses(result, coursesContainer);
     return coursesContainer.meta.containsKey("has_next") && coursesContainer.meta.get("has_next") == Boolean.TRUE;
   }
diff --git a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicUpdater.java b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicUpdater.java
index 6df1f24f8a84..2fe6b05c28e3 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicUpdater.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicUpdater.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public class EduStepicUpdater {
   private static ActionCallback updateCourseList() {
     ActionCallback callback = new ActionCallback();
     ApplicationManager.getApplication().executeOnPooledThread(() -> {
-      final List<CourseInfo> courses = EduStepicConnector.getCourses();
+      final List<CourseInfo> courses = EduStepicConnector.getCourses(null);
       final List<CourseInfo> cachedCourses = StudyProjectGenerator.getCoursesFromCache();
       StudyProjectGenerator.flushCache(courses);
       StepicUpdateSettings.getInstance().setLastTimeChecked(System.currentTimeMillis());
diff --git a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/ui/StudyNewProjectPanel.java b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/ui/StudyNewProjectPanel.java
index f177d9d688dc..f6d3df530e20 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/ui/StudyNewProjectPanel.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/ui/StudyNewProjectPanel.java
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ public class StudyNewProjectPanel extends JPanel implements PanelWithAnchor {
 
         final StepicUser stepicUser = StudyUtils.execCancelable(() -> EduStepicAuthorizedClient.login(myLoginPanel.getLogin(),
                                                                                                       myLoginPanel.getPassword()));
-        if (stepicUser != null) {
+        if (stepicUser != null && stepicUser.getAccessToken() != null) {
           stepicUser.setEmail(myLoginPanel.getLogin());
           stepicUser.setPassword(myLoginPanel.getPassword());
           myGenerator.myUser = stepicUser;