OpenAI Offers Free ChatGPT Plus to College Students, Sparking AI Integration in Education

ChatGPT Plus Is Free for College Students Right Now. Here's What You Get

OpenAI is giving away its premium ChatGPT Plus service for free to college students at degree-granting schools in the US and Canada until May 31. If you're a college student in the US or Canada facing down finals, then OpenAI has some good news for you. ChatGPT Plus, the premium version of the artificial intelligence chatbot, is free until May 31. The company has launched a webpage for the offer detailing who is eligible and what's included. ChatGPT Plus usually costs $20 a month, offering faster responses from the chatbot service without limits on things like image generation (which the company just started offering as a free service limited to a few uses at a time). Students from a degree-granting school in the US and Canada that qualifies will get access to ChatGPT Plus until the offer ends on May 31. The student webpage includes a tool that allows you to see if your school qualifies, and to ask for assistance if your school isn't on the list. ChatGPT also verifies you're a student through a few methods listed on the site. OpenAI's ChatGPT service has seen a surge of popularity recently, in part due to its revamped image-generation tool. According to reports, ChatGPT has about 150 million active weekly users. Free access to ChatGPT's revamped AI image generator and its other capabilities, such as research summaries and real-time conversations, will open the door to more AI familiarity, said Mark van Rijmenam, a strategic futurist and author of Future Visions. "This will help students become more familiar with these powerful AI tools," van Rijmenam said. "However, just giving access alone is not enough. We need to teach students how to use these tools and how to leverage them." Last year, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Edu, a version of its AI tools for universities. This, along with the free offer, may signal the company's push into more educational efforts. Van Rijmenam said that universities should adjust their curriculum "so instead of learning rote knowledge, which becomes less relevant in the age of AI, (they) teach students how to embrace AI responsibly." Students could also use AI to help manage their time to get the most out of balancing study plans, classes, work and life, but beware of the wrong reliance on AI: teachers and professors have ways of detecting when you've written something using AI.

ChatGPT Plus is free for students now - how to grab this deal before finals

Flowers are blooming, and the weather is getting warmer, which means that finals are around the corner. Regardless of major, academic level, or institution, final periods are stressful for students, and AI tools, such as ChatGPT, can ease the load. Also: Are ChatGPT Plus or Pro worth it? Here's how they compare to the free version To maximize the help students can get from ChatGPT, on Thursday OpenAI announced it would make its ChatGPT Plus subscription free for all students in the US and Canada through the end of May. ChatGPT Plus is OpenAI's more advanced tier, with more advanced features and higher usage limits than the company's latest models. It typically costs $20 per month. Even though the launch of ChatGPT was initially met with hesitation in the education sector, with many believing it would violate academic standards and integrity, since then many academic institutions and professors have realized its value and incorporated it into their curriculum. Also: 8 out of 10 college students and administrators welcome AI agents ChatGPT Plus is perhaps one of the most powerful tools students can have in their back pockets to assist them with studying and producing higher-quality work. To find out what the perks are and how to use and access it, keep reading below. ChatGPT Plus typically costs $20 per month, and although it may sound pricey, the plan has so many advanced offerings that make it an attractive sell for users. For example, it includes access to Sora, OpenAI's state-of-the-art video generation model, and the screen-sharing and visual capabilities in ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode, its AI-voice assistant I reach for every day. Also: How to use ChatGPT's Voice Mode (and why you'll want to) Most recently, OpenAI added its new image GPT-4o image-generation model, which boasts significant improvements over previous models, to ChatGPT. This gives ChatGPT Plus users higher access than free users, who only get three image generations per day. As a student, this is an especially helpful feature because it can visualize any content you are studying, creating charts, graphs, and more. Students can also significantly benefit from the recently released Deep Research feature, an AI agent that can conduct multi-step research for you by pulling a robust amount of information from the web and synthesizing those sources for you in a comprehensive report. Also: ChatGPT's stunning new image generator is now free for everyone The plan's value also lies in its less flashy features, such as extended limits on messaging, file uploads, data analysis, and image generation, access to a research preview of GPT-4.5, and the creation of custom GPTs. Tinkering with the chatbot in your free time is the best way to find what ChatGPT features work best for you and your school workflow. However, since it has been my job for over two years to do exactly this every day, I have identified some helpful ways students can use it: Also: How to use ChatGPT: A beginner's guide to the most popular AI chatbot Students in the US and Canada can claim the free ChatGPT Plus offer starting now at the ChatGPT Students landing page. The offer will last until the end of May when students are typically wrapping up finals. Also: The best free AI courses and certificates in 2025 To also help students get the most out of these tools, OpenAI is also offering OpenAI Academy, a free hub to help students build AI fluency; ChatGPT Lab, a college community where students can share prompts; and creative uses from campuses shared on the ChatGPT Instagram. Get the morning's top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.

You can score ChatGPT Plus for free, but only if you meet this criteria

While ChatGPT's free version is powerful enough for most, subscribing to ChatGPT Plus unlocks access to GPT-4 and Sora, lets you use the service during high demand, provides significantly faster response speeds, increased file upload limits, and expanded messaging capacities. You also get priority access to new features, meaning you can test out the latest AI models (including those in beta), which are often more accurate and refined. Plus, you can enjoy ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode for much longer compared to free users. While the list of benefits doesn't end here, all these perks come at a hefty price of $20/month. Luckily, if you're in the United States or Canada, you might be able to grab ChatGPT Plus for free until the end of May. Related Google Gemini Advanced vs ChatGPT Plus: Which is better? Both services are great and cost the same, but which is better: Gemini Advanced or ChatGPT Plus? Posts College students can get 2 free months of ChatGPT Plus On April 3rd, 2025, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, announced that college students can enjoy ChatGPT Plus completely free through the end of May. Both full- and part-time students enrolled in a degree-granting school within the United States or Canada are eligible for this offer. With this deal, you can access ChatGPT Plus at no cost from March 31st to May 31st, giving you two full months of free access once you claim it. After the two-month period ends, standard ChatGPT Plus rates ($20/month, at the time of writing) will apply unless you cancel your membership. OpenAI uses a third-party verification system called SheerID to confirm your enrollment status. SheerID checks trusted databases, like your institution's Office of the Registrar, to verify your student status. You may also be asked to log in with your institution's SSO credentials and upload additional documentation for manual review. To claim this offer, simply head to https://chatgpt.com/students, and click the Claim Offer button. Then, fill in your Country, School, First name, Last name, Date of birth, and Email address. Once done, click the Verify my student status button. After SheerID verifies your status, you'll be redirected back to ChatGPT and can claim your offer. If your institution isn't listed, but you're in one of the eligible regions, you can request it be added via this link. If you already have a ChatGPT Plus subscription and are eligible for this offer, don't worry, you don't need to go through the hassle of canceling your current subscription. All you need to do is verify your enrollment status via SheerID, and your account will automatically be credited with the two free months. This offer comes at the perfect time -- finals season. As a full-time student, I can totally sympathize with how stressful this period can be. Well, at least something good finally came out of it!

OpenAI's $20 ChatGPT Plus is now free for students until the end of May

ChatGPT Plus subscription is now free, but only if you're a student based out of the United States of America and Canada. ChatGPT Plus is a premium subscription that costs $20 a month and allows you to access the paid models, including GPT o1, which is the company's best reasoning model. Additionally, it gives you access to o3-mini and o3-high reasoning models, which are absent from the free tier. OpenAI is making these features free for college students just in time for final exams. However, according to an FAQ document, students will be able to access the Premium tier for free until the end of May only. "We are offering a Plus discount for students on a limited-time basis in the US and Canada," the company noted in a FAQ. "This is an experimental consumer program and we may or may not expand this to more schools and countries over time." OpenAI says it will verify student status using SheerID's secure verification system, which confirms your eligibility through multiple methods: This move comes after rival AI company Anthropic announced Claude for Education, which helps students learn concepts using AI.

OpenAI's $20 ChatGPT Plus is now free for college students until the end of May

The move comes just ahead of final exams and follows a similar move by Anthropic. Following the release of rival Anthropic's Claude for Education, OpenAI has announced that its $20 ChatGPT Plus tier will be free for college students until the end of May. The offer comes just in time for final exams and will provide features like OpenAI's most advanced LLM, GPT-4o and an all-new image generation tool. "We are offering a Plus discount for students on a limited-time basis in the US and Canada," the company wrote in a FAQ. "This is an experimental consumer program and we may or may not expand this to more schools and countries over time." On top of the aforementioned features, ChatGPT Plus will offer students benefits like priority access during peak usage times and higher message limits. It'll also grant them access to OpenAI's Deep Research, a tool that can create reports from hundreds of online sources. AI tools have been widely adopted by students for research and other uses, with open AI recently saying that a third of young adults aged 18-24 already use ChatGPT, with much of that directed toward studies. Anthropic is going even farther than OpenAI to tap into that market with Claude for Education, by introducing a Learning mode specifically designed to guide students to a solution, rather than providing answers outright. Where Anthropic is positioning itself more as a tutor to students, OpenAI is simply giving them access to its most powerful research tools. That brings up the subject of academic integrity and whether AI tools are doing work that students should be doing themselves. Anthropic's approach may be more palatable to institutions -- along with its Claude for Education launch, the company announced that it partnered with several universities and colleges to make the new product free for students.

ChatGPT Plus is free for a limited time, but only for students

Summary OpenAI is offering their ChatGPT Plus free to college students until May 2025. ChatGPT Plus provides faster response speeds, access to latest models, and additional features. To access the free ChatGPT Plus, students in the US and Canada must verify their enrollment through SheerID. Using AI services has become part of everyday life. From extracting important information from screenshots on Pixel phones to removing unwanted objects from photos, AI is everywhere. However, one thing almost everyone using AI relies on is AI chatbots. While options like Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot exist, OpenAI's ChatGPT has taken the lead in this space, especially among college students. With final academic exams approaching, OpenAI is now offering ChatGPT Plus -- the paid tier of its chatbot service -- free for college students for two months. Related 8 reasons to create your own custom ChatGPT with GPT Builder Your brain, with extra RAM Posts 6 The promotion was announced by Sam Altman on X, where the OpenAI CEO shared that ChatGPT Plus is now free for all college students until the end of May 2025. The only condition is that it's available only to students enrolled (full-time or part-time) at degree-granting institutions in the US or Canada. Students in other countries are not eligible for the offer at this time. ChatGPT Plus gives you priority access to OpenAI's latest models and offers significantly faster response speeds compared to the free tier. There are also extra features useful for students, like Deep Research, higher limits for image generation, file uploads, and more. Other benefits include access to Sora, OpenAI's text-to-video tool, and the Advanced Voice Mode. Related ChatGPT: 8 top tips and tricks to boost your productivity Automate time-consuming tasks with ease Posts 1 How to get ChatGPT Plus free as a college student It only takes a few minutes to sign up To claim the free ChatGPT Plus offer, head to the ChatGPT Students landing page. You'll need to verify your student status using SheerID, a verification service that checks your enrollment against most US and Canadian universities. In some cases, OpenAI may ask you to use your university's Single Sign-On (SSO) system or upload documents to confirm your affiliation. While the process might take a few minutes, it's a great way for students in the US or Canada to get two months of ChatGPT Plus -- which normally costs $20 per month -- completely free. Google currently doesn't offer free access to Gemini Advanced for students, though you can get a free year if you buy one of the latest Pixel 9 Pro phones.

ChatGPT Plus is now free for students -- here's how to get it

On a tight budget? Are finals closing in? Well, here's some good news that will make your life much easier. For a short period, OpenAI is offering ChatGPT Plus completely free for students. There's no catch here, simply head over to ChatGPT, sign up and you'll be given two months completely free. This offer is exclusively available for students in the U.S. and Canada but you do have to claim it before May 31. This offer includes full and part-time students at degree-granting schools. OpenAI has stated that if you don't see your school on the list, you can get in contact with them to either have the school added or find out if it is listed under a different name. Some schools, however, might not be included. Already have ChatGPT Plus? OpenAI will still offer the deal to you, crediting your account with two extra months on top of your subscription. What is ChatGPT Plus and what can it do? ChatGPT now comes in three flavors: Free, Plus, and Pro. On the free version, you can chat to ChatGPT and upload real-time data from the web, and use custom GPTs. You can also upload files and get access to image generation, but this is limited. The main improvement in Plus is the removal of limits on file uploads and image generation. This is especially useful for students, allowing you to upload documents to be checked for inaccuracies and studied for improvements. GPT Plus can also examine complex documents, pulling out the most important parts and explaining detailed ideas in simpler terms. Plus, there's also the addition of deep research, which examines hundreds of documents online, doing your research for you. For example, asking ChatGPT for "a guide to homeostasis with breakdowns of key terminology and recent research" will provide a document that has examined papers, articles, and trusted sources to answer this question. An extra feature that comes with the Plus plan is screen sharing. This lets ChatGPT see what is on your screen and answer questions in response to it. This is especially useful if you want to examine a document that you can't upload to the AI model. More from Tom's Guide

OpenAI just made ChatGPT Plus free for millions of college students -- and it's a brilliant competitive move against Anthropic

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More OpenAI has made its premium ChatGPT Plus subscription free for all college students in the United States and Canada through the end of May, a move announced Thursday that intensifies the competition with rival Anthropic for dominance in higher education. The offer gives millions of students free access to OpenAI's $20-per-month premium service just as they prepare for final exams, providing capabilities like GPT-4o (OpenAI's most advanced large language model), image generation, voice interaction, and advanced research tools that aren't available in the free version. "Today's college students face enormous pressure to learn faster, tackle harder problems, and enter a workforce increasingly shaped by AI," said Leah Belsky, Vice President of Education at OpenAI, in a statement. "Supporting their AI literacy means more than demonstrating how these tools work. It requires creating space for students to engage directly, experiment, learn from peers, and ask their own questions." The timing reveals a strategic chess move in the AI industry's battle for the education market. Just 24 hours earlier, Anthropic unveiled "Claude for Education," featuring a specialized "Learning Mode" that uses Socratic questioning to guide students through problems rather than providing direct answers. Anthropic simultaneously announced partnerships with Northeastern University, London School of Economics, and Champlain College to provide campus-wide access. This rapid sequence of announcements echoes the browser wars of the 1990s, when Netscape and Internet Explorer fought for dominance by offering free software to capture user loyalty early. Today's AI companies clearly recognize that capturing students' attention now could translate into workplace adoption later. Students who integrate ChatGPT or Claude into their academic workflows today will likely advocate for these same tools in their future professional environments, potentially influencing enterprise decisions worth billions in recurring revenue. Campus conquests: Why college students are the prize in AI's new frontier The education market represents a crucial battleground for AI companies. According to OpenAI, over one-third of U.S. adults aged 18-24 already use ChatGPT, with approximately 25% of their queries related to academic work. For students, the free premium access delivers substantial benefits. ChatGPT Plus offers significantly higher message limits, priority access during peak usage times, and exclusive features like Deep Research, which can analyze academic papers, synthesize information from multiple sources, and generate comprehensive reports. The Deep Research feature transforms how students approach academic writing and literature reviews. Unlike traditional search engines that simply return documents, Deep Research can identify conceptual relationships across sources, analyze methodological differences between studies, and highlight competing interpretations of data. This capability dramatically accelerates the research process while potentially deepening students' understanding of complex scholarly conversations. OpenAI's approach differs markedly from Anthropic's. While Claude for Education emphasizes critical thinking through its Learning Mode, OpenAI provides unrestricted access to its most powerful tools, betting that exposure to advanced capabilities will cement student loyalty. This philosophical divide reflects two competing visions of AI's educational role: Anthropic positions Claude as a learning partner that develops student skills, while OpenAI offers ChatGPT as a productivity multiplier that empowers students to accomplish more. Academic integrity meets AI assistance: The new educational dilemma This high-stakes competition raises fundamental questions about AI's role in education. The landscape has evolved dramatically since ChatGPT's introduction in late 2022, when many institutions responded with outright bans. Today, the conversation centers less on whether to allow AI and more on how to integrate it meaningfully. The central tension revolves around defining appropriate boundaries for AI assistance. When does AI cross the line from helping students learn to simply doing their work? This question becomes increasingly complex as AI systems improve at mimicking human-like reasoning and writing. Traditional assessments designed to measure individual student capabilities now operate in an environment where AI can generate convincing essays, solve complex problems, and even mimic personal reflection. Universities face the challenge of updating century-old assessment practices for this new reality. Some institutions have begun redesigning assignments to emphasize uniquely human capabilities like original research design, ethical reasoning, and creative synthesis across disciplines. Others focus on teaching students to collaborate effectively with AI, treating it as a tool whose appropriate use itself requires significant skill development. The technology continues to outpace institutional policies. Faculty members often develop ad-hoc guidelines for their courses while university-wide committees deliberate on comprehensive approaches. The University of California system recently updated its guidelines to permit AI use for brainstorming and editing while prohibiting its use for producing final work without citation, but even these distinctions become blurry in practice. Inside ChatGPT Plus: Premium AI tools students can now access for free With ChatGPT Plus, students now gain access to GPT-4o, OpenAI's most advanced model, which delivers more accurate responses and better reasoning capabilities. The subscription includes Advanced Voice Mode for conversational interaction with the AI, unlimited image generation through DALL-E compared to the heavily restricted free tier, Deep Research for comprehensive literature reviews, and higher message limits with priority access during high-traffic periods when free users often encounter throttling. Students can activate the free service by visiting ChatGPT's student page and verifying their enrollment status through SheerID, an identity verification service. Beyond OpenAI and Anthropic: How tech giants are reshaping education with AI OpenAI and Anthropic don't stand alone in targeting education. Google advances its Gemini AI for education, while Microsoft integrates Copilot across its education-focused products. This convergence of tech giants on the education sector signals its strategic importance in the AI ecosystem. The competition transcends immediate market share calculations. These companies vie not just for current student users but for influence over how an entire generation conceptualizes AI integration in work and learning. They recognize that patterns established during formative educational experiences will shape expectations and preferences throughout users' careers. The financial stakes underscore this strategic importance. Market analysts project the educational technology sector will reach $80.5 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. Yet perhaps more valuable than the direct revenue is the user data generated through educational applications. This data helps companies refine their AI models, understand usage patterns, and develop features that address real educational pain points. Transforming tomorrow's classroom: How AI is fundamentally changing higher education For universities, AI's rapid advancement requires a fundamental reimagining of pedagogical approaches. The institutions gaining the most from these tools view them not as threats but as catalysts for educational evolution. They're asking deeper questions about what skills matter in an AI-augmented world and how to develop those capabilities in their students. The most innovative universities have begun moving beyond reactive policies to proactive curriculum redesign. They're creating interdisciplinary AI literacy programs that span technical understanding, ethical considerations, and practical applications. Some institutions now introduce AI tools from the first day of class, teaching students how to use them effectively while emphasizing that the technology augments rather than replaces human judgment. For students graduating into an AI-transformed economy, experience with these tools provides essential preparation. According to a recent World Economic Forum survey, 75% of employers now value AI literacy as a key skill for entry-level positions. Students who develop both technical proficiency with AI tools and critical awareness of their limitations position themselves advantageously for this changing job market. As final exams approach, millions of students will gain unprecedented access to AI capabilities that were unavailable or prohibitively expensive just weeks ago. They'll use these tools to analyze complex texts, visualize difficult concepts, generate study materials, and explore research questions with unprecedented depth and speed. Yet the most valuable outcome won't be the assignments they complete or even the grades they earn, but the fluency they develop in working alongside intelligent machines -- precisely the skill that will define success in the world they're preparing to lead.

OpenAI is giving away ChatGPT Plus subscriptions to students to help you study for finals - here's how to apply

ChatGPT Plus - ChatGPT's premium tier - is going free for students in the US and Canada for a couple of months. Here's how to apply and what the deal gets you. The upgraded ChatGPT Plus tier usually costs $20 a month, and opens up access to ChatGPT's advanced Deep Research model, the upgraded GPT-4.5 preview, and extends the limits imposed on users accessing the free tools (so you can send more prompts and upload more files before you hit your cap). You'll also get wider access to ChatGPT's voice mode and screen-sharing abilities. And these tools can be super handy when studying for your finals this semester. If you're not sure why you got a practice question wrong you can show ChatGPT your test and answer and it can help explain how you made the error. The speech mode is useful for practicing languages as you can set the bot to converse with you at your level. You can also upload your notes to the bot and get it to quiz you on them with custom tests to get you used to having your knowledge challenged in an exam-like environment. Just remember to not rely solely on the AI. Even with your course notes it will likely make a few reasoning errors, and when practicing languages it might teach you a phrase that's technically correct but not one that's actually used by people speaking the language day-to-day. For example, I've recently been watching streamer Ludwig in a YouTube series in which he travels across Japan and one his ChatGPT-taught phrases for "thank you" is equivalent to saying "I thank thee for thine service." But if you use ChatGPT's study tools in conjunction with your own non-AI practice - and regularly check you're not being taught something wrong - it could be a handy tutor. Now, how do you get it for free? The offer is available from March 31 until May 31, 2025 and gives you two months of ChatGPT Plus once you claim it. You'll need to be a student in the US and Canada with OpenAI explaining it'll verify your status instantly using the following methods: It adds that if these methods don't work you may need to go through a manual review, which requires you to upload "additional documentation." OpenAI doesn't outline what these documents are but we expect it'll be something like an admission letter or student ID card from your college. OpenAI also explains that not all schools will be supported, though it provides a form for you to request to add your school. It doesn't promise top accept all requests, but it's worth trying if you're desperate to claim this $40 saving. Lastly, if you're already a ChatGPT Plus subscriber you'll get your two free months added to your existing membership.

OpenAI is offering free ChatGPT Plus for college students

OpenAI is offering two months of free ChatGPT Plus to all college students, as CEO Sam Altman recently announced ahead of a much-anticipated update to the AI chatbot. The offer is available through May for U.S. and Canadian students only, and can be claimed on the ChatGPT student landing page. According to the site, Existing ChatGPT Plus subscribers and new students will be verified through a system called SheerID to confirm current enrollment. Make note: the subscription will automatically renew at the ChatGPT Plus monthly rate ($20) if not cancelled before the two months are up. The paid version of ChatGPT includes extended limits on chatting, file uploads, and image generation, as well as advanced voice mode with video and screen sharing, limited Sora access, and new GPT‑4o and o3‑mini models. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The use of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools by students has stirred widespread debate, as tech giants and AI developers increasingly invest in AI technologies for the classroom. Google, for example, released a teen-specific version of its chatbot Gemini that was later offered at no cost to educational institutions -- the chatbot is available to all students with Google Workspace for Education accounts who are approved by administrators. This week, OpenAI also announced free access to its new native image generator for both the paid and free versions of ChatGPT and Sora, ahead of a proposed rate limit for users of just three image generators per day. Altman and co. are ramping up excitement around the revamped GPT-4o, as well as upcoming mini models and GPT-5, amid a renewed backlash to AI-generated art and greater concerns about generative AI's takeover.

ChatGPT Plus is free for a limited time: Here's how to check if you qualify

ChatGPT didn't just emerge onto the AI scene, it birthed an entire revolution of AI assistants and agents and made them accessible to consumers who were not so friendly with technology. Despite the space now being overcrowded with numerous intelligent chatbots and wrapper apps, ChatGPT is still the most popular of them all. And while you get plenty of features for free now, ChatGPT Plus, its paid tier, gets deeper thinking abilities, priority in times of traffic surge, and quicker access to new models. The downside, however, it is $20 monthly subscription. Thankfully, a select few people can get it for free now. OpenAI's CEO and co-founder Sam Altman recently announced on X that ChatGPT Plus will be available for free until the end of May. However, the offer is only applicable if you are a college student, and more specifically, studying in a "degree-granting schools in the United States and Canada." The idea basically is to gain popularity among college-goers by helping them cram more before finals in the coming weeks. As part of the promotion, OpenAI is advertising ChatGPT's abilities to help you with summaries or quizes based on study material, deep thinking or brainstorming with the research abilities, as well as the more advanced Voice mode that lets you hold conversations with a natural flow where you can interrupt ChatGPT without breaking its flow of information. Recommended Videos Are you eligible for the free ChatGPT Plus promo offer? To claim this offer, you can visit the dedicated page on ChatGPT's (not OpenAI's) website. You must tap "Claim Offer" and will then be redirected to a verification page on SheerID, a platform that helps students get special discounts, and fill in your details such as your school or university's name along with your student email ID. If your college isn't already listed, you can fill in a request form, though it takes some time. In case of any trouble, you may also turn to ChatGPT's competitor, Perplexity AI, which also offers one free month of subscription to students, who can also earn additional months (up to 24 months of free use) for referring peers. If everything goes smoothly, you will have free access to ChatGPT Plus until May 31. But don't forget to cancel the subscription before the trial ends, as OpenAI's terms & conditions clearly state you will be charged $20 for the next billing period starting June 1. It's better to cancel the subscription a few days in advance as it will remain active until the end of the period. I usually set reminders on my phone to ensure I never have to pay for a subscription I intend to cancel, and it has worked for me well so far. While the idea is to help students assimilate information better -- and also show them that reliance on ChatGPT will benefit them in school and beyond, the offer does not limit what you do with the subscription. So, there's no stopping if you would rather use ChatGPT Plus to instead join the viral Studio Ghibli art trend -- or enterprise from it by creating and selling pictures to other people, use it to write code for your website or app, or do anything else.

OpenAI Makes ChatGPT Free for Millions of North American College Students - Decrypt

OpenAI is making its premium AI service, ChatGPT Plus, available at no cost to college students across the U.S. and Canada for a limited time, the company announced this week. Eligible students at degree-granting institutions can access ChatGPT Plus for free between March 31 and May 31, 2025. The subscription will remain active for two months from the date of claim. OpenAI's website promotes the service as "there to help you through the finals" through assisting with research, content summarization, brainstorming, and writing and editing support. It comes a day after rival Anthropic announced a student-focused initiative for Claude. Both companies have rolled out for students amid a broader and ongoing debate over the role of generative AI in education. Educators and researchers have expressed concern that students are using tools like ChatGPT to complete assignments without engaging deeply with the material, raising issues of academic integrity and skills development. In an interview with Axios, one high school teacher said students were using the technology to "outsource their thinking" and "cheat." A study conducted by Microsoft earlier this year found that while generative AI can enhance productivity, it may also lead to reduced critical engagement and long-term overreliance, ultimately affecting users' independent problem-solving abilities. OpenAI itself has acknowledged the growing role of ChatGPT in academia. In February, the company reported that one-third of U.S. college-aged users use the platform, with about 25% of messages related to learning and schoolwork. A 2024 academic study found increasing use of ChatGPT for completing assignments, especially among non-native English speakers and older students. It urged institutions to adopt clear policies and targeted training to ensure responsible and effective use of generative AI in academic settings. "The integration of generative AI in education should be conducted in a thoughtful manner, acknowledging the benefits as well as its limits while examining its impact on existing societal structures," it said.

ChatGPT Plus Is Free for a Limited Time, but Only If You Qualify

ChatGPT Still Doesn't Have Folders: Try These Extensions Instead OpenAI is giving ChatGPT Plus subscriptions away for a limited time, but only certain people will qualify for the offer. Still, if you're part of the eligible group, you'll be able to access ChatGPT Plus for the next two months. OpenAI Gives ChatGPT Plus Away for Free ChatGPT offers both free and paid tiers. The free tier will be all most people need. However, subscribing to ChatGPT Plus gets you a host of advantages, including higher limits on messaging, image generation, etc., access to deeper research and more reasoning models, access to newer language models, and opportunities to test new features. Whether you think ChatGPT Plus is worth the asking price or not is a personal choice. However, if you could gain access to it for free, it would surely be a no-brainer. And that's exactly what's on offer, as OpenAI's CEO and co-founder Sam Altman has announced on X. As you can see, OpenAI is offering ChatGPT Plus to eligible college students in the United States and Canada. If you're eligible for the offer, you'll "gain access to ChatGPT Plus for free from March 31, 2025 - May 31, 2025." This coincides with the cramming period before finals, enabling students to use ChatGPT Plus to help them study. A noteworthy point is that, if you're a student who already subscribes to ChatGPT Plus, you can claim credit for the two free months. Just verify your student status through SheerID to claim the offer. As a College Student, Do You Qualify? This offer is only open to "full and part-time students at degree-granting schools in the United States and Canada." OpenAI verifies your student status using SheerID's secure verification system. This system checks your credentials against authoritative sources such as trusted databases, and may ask you to log in securely with your school's SSO credentials. To check whether you're eligible or not, visit the dedicated page for students on the ChatGPT website. From there, you can see the terms or click "Claim Offer" to start the verification process. You'll then need to enter information such as your name, country, school, and email address to find out whether you can claim the offer. Related How I Use ChatGPT as a Tutor to Enhance My Studies Many students use AI tools like ChatGPT to replace their academic efforts. Instead, you can use these tools like a tutor to enhance your learning. Posts 2 While, on the surface, this is an attempt to help students study ahead of exams, there is an obvious upside for OpenAI. If these students get used to trying the premium version of ChatGPT, they're likely to maintain their subscription beyond the free period. And if you do take advantage of this offer, but don't want to continue with it beyond May, be sure to cancel before the free period ends.

ChatGPT Plus Is Now Free Until the End of May, but There's a Catch

ChatGPT Plus offers several benefits in comparison with the free version ChatGPT Plus will be free to access for select users over the next few weeks, OpenAI announced on Friday. The AI firm's ChatGPT Plus subscription tier typically costs $20 (roughly Rs. 1,700) per month, but eligible users won't have to pay for access to OpenAI's deep research and multiple reasoning models and limited access to Sora video generation. The lowest paid subscription plan lifts limits on messaging or file uploads, and image generation, while also offering limited access to Sora video generation. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), CEO Sam Altman announced that the company will offer students in the US and Canada free access to ChatGPT Plus. This is part of a limited promotion that offers access to the paid subscription for free, until the end of May, and details of the promotion are available on the company's support website. In order to avail of the student promotion, students must be enrolled at a degree-granting school in the US or Canada. OpenAI requires users to verify their student status via SheerID's secure verification system before claiming access to the complimentary ChatGPT Plus subscription. Students who are already paying for the service will get two months of access at no additional cost. The free version of ChatGPT already offers access to ChatGPT-4o mini, along with limited access to GPT-4o and o3-mini models, while the Plus subscription offers access to deep research and multiple reasoning models. These include o1, o3-mini, and o3-mini-high. The paid subscription also offers access to a research preview of the GPT-4.5 model that was announced in February. ChatGPT Plus also lets users upload more files, send more messages, and generate more images than users on the free tier. Subscribers also have access to the advanced voice mde with support for video and screensharing. OpenAI also allows ChatGPT Plus subscribers to create custom GPTs and enables users to try out upcoming features on the platform. A subscription to ChatGPT Plus also grants limited access to Sora video generation, which isn't available on the free tier.

OpenAI offers ChatGPT Plus free for students in US, Canada; Who's eligible and what's included

OpenAI has made its premium ChatGPT Plus subscription free for college students in the United States and Canada until 31 May 2025. The offer arrives during exam season and includes access to advanced AI tools, aiming to improve digital literacy and close inequality gaps. It also marks a shift in how artificial intelligence is being integrated into higher education, with students encouraged to explore, experiment, and engage critically with these tools.OpenAI has announced that students enrolled at degree-granting institutions in the United States and Canada can use ChatGPT Plus at no cost until 31 May 2025. The offer, which started on 31 March, comes at a crucial time -- just ahead of final exams. Ordinarily priced at $20 a month, ChatGPT Plus gives users access to faster response times, higher usage limits, and premium features like GPT-4o, image generation, advanced voice mode, and specialised research tools. These capabilities are now temporarily open to students without charge. The company explained the eligibility criteria clearly, "Full and part-time students at degree-granting schools in the United States and Canada are eligible for this offer. If you don't see your school on the student verification list, please click this link to receive further assistance from our partner. This will let you submit a request to add your school, find it by another name, or see if your school is not eligible for this offer." Students can verify their enrolment status via SheerID. Once confirmed, they'll be redirected to ChatGPT, and the two-month subscription will be automatically activated on their account. Existing ChatGPT Plus subscribers who qualify will also receive a credit covering the free period. During the free window, students will be able to use ChatGPT Plus to support their studies in a variety of ways. These include: This initiative offers students a way to learn smarter -- not harder. The move reflects a broader shift in how AI is entering the classroom. It's not just about tools, but habits. College students are already among ChatGPT's most frequent users. According to Forbes, over a third of U.S. adults aged 18 to 24 use the platform, with nearly 25% of their queries tied to academic work. Students are not just experimenting -- they're integrating it into how they think, revise, and explore ideas. Anthropic, another AI company, also launched Claude for Education this week. It includes features designed for universities like Learning Mode, which encourages critical thinking through structured problem-solving. It's being piloted with Northeastern University and the London School of Economics. By making ChatGPT Plus free, OpenAI is also trying to address digital inequality. Some universities, such as those in the California State University system, have formal partnerships with OpenAI. But others -- particularly those with fewer resources -- do not. That leaves many students with limited or no access to premium AI tools. For students facing financial or geographic barriers, this temporary offer helps level the field. It also supports real-world readiness. AI is already reshaping workplaces. Students who gain early exposure through hands-on experimentation will be better prepared for that future. Leah Belsky, OpenAI's Vice President of Education, said, "Today's college students face enormous pressure to learn faster, tackle harder problems and enter a workforce increasingly shaped by AI. Supporting their AI literacy means more than demonstrating how these tools work. It requires creating space for students to engage directly, experiment, learn from peers and ask their own questions." To support students using ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI has also launched new learning platforms. The OpenAI Academy helps students build fluency in AI concepts, while ChatGPT Lab allows them to exchange prompts and ideas with one another. It's a clear sign that the company isn't just offering access -- it's building infrastructure around learning. This could help students use the tool in more thoughtful ways rather than simply as a shortcut. It's not about replacing teachers or assignments, but offering a support system at the most demanding moments of academic life. Once the free period ends, students will be returned to a paid subscription model. Those who wish to opt out can cancel before being charged. Still, the transition may pose a challenge, especially for students who have come to rely on the tool. This raises important questions for educators and institutions. Will assignments need to evolve? Will universities design new "AI-proof" tasks or lean into more creative and critical assessments? The sector is still working out its answers. But for now, this offer signals a significant shift. This isn't just a promotional deal -- it's a test run for the future of education. AI is no longer a distant concept in higher education. It's in the hands of students, shaping how they study, research, and engage with knowledge. Whether or not the free offer is extended, its impact could ripple far beyond May. And while tools like ChatGPT won't replace human teaching, they might just help students ask better questions -- and that's a place to begin.

You Can Get ChatGPT Plus for Free: Here's How to Claim the Offer

To claim, they need to verify enrollment through SheerID or upload valid documents. With all the Studio Ghibli craze going all over the internet, thanks to GPT-4o's image generation model, people and students alike are looking for ways to get their hands on ChatGPT Plus without paying the $20/month subscription fees. Well, there couldn't be a better time than now, as OpenAI is offering a two-month ChatGPT Plus subscription for free. OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, took to X, where he shared a post announcing that college students in the US and Canada can claim ChatGPT Plus for free. This offer started from March 31 and is valid till May 31, 2025. The offer is eligible for anyone enrolled in an accredited degree granting institute can benefit from this offer. Even current Plus members can benefit from this offer. In case you don't know, ChatGPT Plus subscription offers faster responses, priority access, and better answers with higher accuracy. It also unlocks the GPT-4.5 experimental model, and lets you switch between GPT-4o, 01, 03-mini, and 03-mini-high models. Of course, you get access to the new image generation tool to make all the Ghibli art you want. As mentioned above, this offer is only valid for US and Canadian college students, so to claim the free benefit, you will have to verify your enrollment through SheerID by visiting this link. You may also be required to log in to ChatGPT with your institution's single sign-on systems or upload documents to check your enrollment status. Once you have claimed the free subscription, you can enjoy two months of an advanced AI model. However, once the offer period expires, you will be charged a $20/month fee as usual going forward. So you might want to cancel the plan before that. This is a good move by OpenAI, coming out with this offer in time for the final months of the academic year. So students may need help studying, and what's better to help them than an advanced AI model that can summarize, dictate, and offer personalized help as needed. So if you are a student, don't miss out on this offer and claim it as soon as possible.