AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Do students get ChatGPT Plus free in 2026?
Yes, for a limited time. An $80 ChatGPT Plus student offer gives eligible U.S. college students four free months of Plus, with a claim-by date of October 31. The perk card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
If you searched "chatgpt plus for students" or "chatgpt plus free for students", this is the offer you are looking for. The public page frames it as "Study. Build. Launch. Get 4 months of ChatGPT Work on us." The four free months of ChatGPT Plus include access to ChatGPT Work and other premium features.
This article covers what the offer is worth, what Plus adds over the Free plan, and what happens when the free months end. It also points you to the other student perks that AI Perks tracks. Open the card first if you want to see your own path to the trial.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
What is the ChatGPT student discount worth?
The public offer is worth $80 for eligible U.S. college students, and the claim-by date is October 31. The $80 matches the math: Plus costs $20 per month on the public pricing page, and 4 months at $20 is $80.
| Detail | What the public page says |
|---|---|
| Headline | 4 months of ChatGPT Work |
| Plan covered | Four free months of ChatGPT Plus |
| Value | $80 |
| Who it is for | Eligible U.S. college students |
| Claim by | October 31 |
| Price after the free months | $20/month unless you cancel |
Who qualifies and how to claim is not something we summarize here, because it sits on the perk card. Open the ChatGPT student card to see it and start your trial.
What does Plus add over the Free plan?
Plus adds wider Work access, newer models and features, and a bigger context window. The Free plan is still useful for studying, so it helps to know which gaps matter for your coursework before you claim.
| Feature | Free | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | No cost | $20/month |
| Text chats | Unlimited text chats with GPT-6 (subject to abuse guardrails) | Included |
| Deep research | Limited | Expanded access (see pricing page) |
| ChatGPT Work | Limited, on desktop | Desktop, web, and mobile |
| GPT-6.1 Sol model | Not included | Included |
| Sites | Not included | Included |
| GPT Instant context window | 27K | 54K |
| Early access to new features | No | Yes |
| Study mode | Yes | Yes |
Study mode is included on Free, so you do not need Plus for it. What you get from Plus is more room to build: Work on every device, a larger context window, and early access to new features. If you are writing a thesis, running research projects or shipping a side project, that is where the four free months pay off.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Which other student perks does AI Perks track?
The ChatGPT card is one of several student and education perks in the catalogue. The table below shows the student and education amounts. Each row links to its own card, where you can see who qualifies and start.
| Company | Free credits | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT (students) | $80 | Get this perk |
| OpenAI Codex (students) | $100 | Get this perk |
| Google Gemini (students) | $240 | Get this perk |
| Perplexity (education) | $84 | Get this perk |
| GitHub (students) | Up to $120 | Get this perk |
| Notion (education) | $120 | Get this perk |
Total: up to $744 in student and education perks ($80 + $100 + $240 + $84 + $120 + $120 = $744).
If you code, the OpenAI Codex student perk, listed at $100, pairs naturally with ChatGPT. For a side-by-side look at every option, see Free AI Credits for Students 2026: Every Program Compared. For Codex plans and credits, read OpenAI Codex Pricing 2026.
What happens when the four free months end?
After the promotion period, the subscription renews at $20/month unless you cancel. That is the standard ChatGPT Plus rate, and most promotions work this way: they renew automatically at the standard monthly price.
A few billing points from the public pages are worth knowing before you claim:
- Cancel at least 24 hours before your renewal date to avoid an unwanted charge.
- Cancelling early costs you months. If you cancel before the 4-month offer ends, free Plus access continues through the end of your current billing period, and you do not receive the remaining free months.
- Promotions cannot be cancelled in the ChatGPT mobile app. Web subscriptions need to be cancelled on the web.
- A cancelled promo code cannot be reused.
If you drop to Free after the trial, you keep unlimited text chats with GPT-6 and Study mode. You lose Plus-only features such as GPT-6.1 Sol, Sites and the larger context window. A cheaper paid tier called Go also exists, and it may include ads.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Is this the same as the 2025 student offer?
No. An earlier help-center student program for the US and Canada ran from March 31, 2025 to May 31, 2025 and gave two free months of Plus. The current offer is a different one: four months, an $80 value, with a claim-by date of October 31.
OpenAI describes its student discounts as experimental. In its words: "This is an experimental consumer program and we may or may not expand this to more schools and countries over time." That is why the claim-by date matters. Nothing public promises the offer will come back.
ChatGPT Edu is a different product. It is a campus-wide plan that universities deploy across their communities, not something an individual student buys. If your school has it, that is a separate route from the student offer above.
How do you get started? Step by step
- Get your credits via AI Perks. Open the ChatGPT student card in the catalogue at getaiperks.com. It shows who qualifies and how to claim, and it is where you start the trial.
- Check the date. The claim-by date is October 31, so do not leave it for the last week of term.
- Add the coding perk. If you build software, open the Codex student card, listed at $100.
- Stack a research tool. The Perplexity education perk, listed at $84, covers a different job than ChatGPT. See How to Get Free Perplexity Pro in 2026 for the full picture.
- Set a reminder. Note the renewal date so the $20/month charge does not catch you out.
Using Claude as well? Claude Student Discount 2026 covers that side.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
FAQ
Is there a ChatGPT student discount in 2026?
Yes. The public offer is worth $80 for eligible U.S. college students, with a claim-by date of October 31. It covers four free months of ChatGPT Plus. Open the perk card to see who qualifies, how to claim, and to start your trial.
How much does ChatGPT Plus cost after the student offer?
Plus renews at $20/month after the four free months unless you cancel. That is the standard Plus rate on the public pricing page. Cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date to avoid a charge. More student perks and their amounts are listed at getaiperks.com.
Do I need ChatGPT Plus for Study mode?
No. Study mode is included on the Free plan, along with unlimited text chats with GPT-6 under abuse guardrails. Plus adds things like GPT-6.1 Sol, Sites, Work on desktop, web and mobile, and a 54K context window versus 27K. Whether that is worth it depends on your workload.
Can students get Codex credits too?
AI Perks lists a separate OpenAI Codex student perk at $100. Its details are not summarized here, because they sit on the card. Open the Codex student card to see who qualifies and how to claim it.
Is the ChatGPT student offer permanent?
No. OpenAI describes its student discount as an experimental consumer program and does not promise expansion. The current offer has a public claim-by date of October 31. Earlier offers have ended, so check the card at getaiperks.com for the current state.
What if I cancel during the free months?
Your free Plus access continues through the end of the current billing period. After that, you do not receive the remaining free months. Cancellation has to be done on the web for web subscriptions, because promotions cannot be cancelled in the mobile app. A cancelled promo code cannot be reused.
Ready to claim your free ChatGPT Plus?
The $80 student offer has a claim-by date of October 31, and the card has everything you need to start. Open it, check the details, and begin your trial while there is still time. While you are there, look at the other student and education perks in the table above.
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AI Perks tracks free AI credits and API keys from companies across the industry, so you can find your next credits at getaiperks.com.
