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.
What is Codex for students?
Codex for students is a public offer of $100 in Codex credits. The card shows who qualifies and how to claim. AI Perks also tracks more student and educator offers.
OpenAI describes Codex as a tool inside ChatGPT that helps people build software and complete technical projects. The student grant adds credits on top of your plan, so you can keep using it after you hit plan limits. If you are a CS student, that means more room for debugging, refactors and project work.
The offer is also large in scale. OpenAI has said it will make up to $84 million in Codex credits available to about 844,000 students in one state for the 2026-2027 academic year. That works out to roughly $100 per student ($84 million divided by 844,000).
Open the Codex student card to see the current terms before you read on.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
OpenAI $100
Eligible for early-stage startups
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
What do the $100 in credits actually cover?
The credits are used inside Codex. They are ChatGPT credits, not API credits, and they extend Codex usage beyond the limits in your ChatGPT plan. Codex is included in your ChatGPT account, so there is no separate Codex account to create.
| Detail | What is published |
|---|---|
| Headline value | $100 in Codex credits |
| Shown in your account as | 2,500 credits |
| Where you spend them | Codex, inside ChatGPT |
| Type | ChatGPT credits, not API credits |
| Expiry | 12 months after the grant date |
| Transfer or resale | Not allowed, no cash value |
Codex is more than autocomplete. Codex Cloud runs each task in its own isolated workspace, and tasks can keep running while your computer sleeps. Code Review lets you read pull-request summaries and diffs, review findings and discuss changes.
Who qualifies and how to claim are not covered here. Both are on the Codex student card.
How far do 2,500 credits go?
OpenAI says a typical GPT-5.6 Sol task may use 2-15 credits. Using those figures, here is the rough range for 2,500 credits.
| Credits per task | Tasks from 2,500 credits |
|---|---|
| 15 (high end) | 2,500 / 15 = 166.67, so 166 whole tasks |
| 2 (low end) | 2,500 / 2 = 1,250 tasks |
Treat this as a rough guide, not a promise. Real cost depends on the task, and OpenAI says its message estimates are not fixed limits. Check your usage dashboard for current numbers.
Your plan's included usage is used first, and credits only kick in after that. On Plus, OpenAI estimates roughly 15-160 local GPT-6.1 Sol messages per five-hour period. The smaller GPT-6 Luna model allows 350-3,000 local messages in the same window. Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit.
One published tip for stretching usage: disable MCP servers when you do not need them. The full plan table is on the Codex pricing page. For a deeper breakdown, read OpenAI Codex Pricing 2026: Plans, Credits & How to Get Free Access.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
OpenAI $100
Eligible for early-stage startups
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
Which coding perks can students stack with it?
Codex credits are one piece of a student toolkit. The AI Perks catalogue lists amounts for the other tools you will use alongside it, and each row links to that perk's own card.
| Company | Free credits | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI Codex (students) | $100 | Get this perk |
| ChatGPT (students) | $80 | Get this perk |
| GitHub (students) | Up to $120 | Get this perk |
| JetBrains (students) | $199 | Get this perk |
| Anthropic API | $20,000 | Get this perk |
| OpenRouter | Up to $3,000 | Get this perk |
Total across the six perks: up to $100 + $80 + $120 + $199 + $20,000 + $3,000 = $23,499.
The student rows cover your editor, repo hosting and chat assistant. The two API rows are for projects that call a model from code, which the Codex student credits do not cover. Each card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
How do you get started? Step by step
Step 1: Get the credits through AI Perks. Open the Codex student card from the AI Perks catalogue. It shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Step 2: Start the trial from the card. The card is where you sign up and begin. Follow what it shows rather than guessing at requirements.
Step 3: Use Codex inside ChatGPT. There is no separate Codex account. Run your tasks from the account you already use.
Step 4: Watch your usage dashboard. Plan usage goes first, then credits. Keep an eye on the 12-month expiry from the grant date.
Step 5: Add the rest of the stack. Open the GitHub student card and the JetBrains student card next. Then pick an API perk if your project needs one.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
OpenAI $100
Eligible for early-stage startups
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
What should you use after the credits run out?
First, you can buy more credits to extend Codex usage. Plus and Pro users who hit a Codex limit see an option to add credits. Purchased credits are valid for 12 months and cannot be transferred, cashed out, resold or gifted. Credit purchases are currently available to only a limited group of Free and Go users.
Second, move heavy experiments to API credits. Up to $3,000 in OpenRouter credits and $20,000 in Anthropic API credits are listed in the catalogue, so you can keep building without spending your Codex grant.
If you are weighing tools, read Claude Code vs Codex CLI 2026: Which Terminal AI Agent to Pick. For the terminal workflow, see Codex CLI Guide 2026: Install, Run and Fund It With Free Credits. To compare more student offers, see Free AI Credits for Students 2026: Every Program Compared.
FAQ
Is Codex free for students?
The public offer is $100 in Codex credits, shown as 2,500 credits in your account. These are credits, not a new plan, and they expire 12 months after the grant date. The Codex student card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Do I need a separate Codex account?
No. Codex is included in your ChatGPT account, so there is nothing separate to sign up for. The credits are ChatGPT credits, not API credits, and they extend Codex usage beyond your plan limits. For API keys, browse the full catalogue at getaiperks.com.
Can I use the student credits for API calls?
No. They extend Codex usage inside ChatGPT, not API usage. For your own projects, the catalogue lists $20,000 in Anthropic API credits and up to $3,000 in OpenRouter credits. Each card shows who qualifies.
How long do the credits last?
They expire 12 months after the grant date. Your plan's included usage is used first, so credits only drain after you pass plan limits. Message counts are estimates, so check your usage dashboard. More detail is on the Codex student card.
Can I stack Codex credits with GitHub and JetBrains perks?
They are separate catalogue perks, so you can look at each one. The catalogue lists GitHub for students at up to $120 and JetBrains at $199. Browse everything at getaiperks.com.
What happens when the credits run out?
You can buy more credits to extend Codex usage. Plus and Pro users who hit a Codex limit see an option to add credits, and purchased credits are valid for 12 months. Purchases are limited to a group of Free and Go users. Find other free options at getaiperks.com.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
OpenAI $100
Eligible for early-stage startups
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
Ready to start building with Codex?
The $100 grant is the headline, but the real value is the stack: Codex, GitHub, JetBrains and API credits in one place. Open the cards, check the terms and start the trial.
Get free AI credits at getaiperks.com →
AI Perks tracks free AI credits and API keys across many companies, including student and educator offers. Find them all at getaiperks.com.
