AI at School

OpenAI is offering free ChatGPT Plus for college students

You must live in two specific countries to qualify, though.
 By 
Chase DiBenedetto
 on 
A phone home screen showing the ChatGPT app surrounded by ChatGPT logos.
Students can experience ChatGPT Plus for free. Credit: Mashable composite by Rene Ramos / Photography by Joseph Maldonado

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.


You May Also Like

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.

Chase sits in front of a green framed window, wearing a cheetah print shirt and looking to her right. On the window's glass pane reads "Ricas's Tostadas" in red lettering.
Chase DiBenedetto
Social Good Reporter

Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Her work also captures how these conversations manifest in politics, popular culture, and fandom. Sometimes she's very funny.

Mashable Potato

More from AI at School
What's your college's AI policy? Find out here.
An illustration of a student being hand a degree, surrounded by multicolored textures and computer elements.

Colleges are giving students ChatGPT. Is it safe?
Illustration of college class with ChatGPT logo on the blackboard.

Open AI, Google, and Anthropic all offer AI tutors for students. Do they work?
A person in a graduation cap and gown climbs up the steps of a giant laptop, surrounded by glowing screens and chat boxes.


7 things to know about using an AI tutor
Woman looks at a computer screen quizzically.

Recommended For You
OpenAI to finally bring ads to ChatGPT
Photo illustration of the chatgpt logo on a smartphone. The same logo can be seen faded in the background

OpenAI says it will change ChatGPT safety protocols in the wake of mass shooting
OpenAI logo

OpenAI reportedly testing ChatGPT ads soon
A thumb taps on a phone screen displaying a colorful OpenAI logo.

ChatGPT GPT-4o users are raging at OpenAI on Reddit right now
ChatGPT GPT-4o

OpenAI is delaying its 'adult mode' for ChatGPT
By Jack Dawes
ChatGPT Update Will Allow 'erotica' For Verified Adult Users

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 2, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone


What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!