OpenAI has announced that college students across the United States and Canada can access ChatGPT Plus for free throughout May. The move comes at a crucial time as students prepare for finals, giving them free use of GPT-4o, image generation, voice chat, and advanced research tools usually reserved for paid users.
This strategic offer is seen as OpenAI’s effort to dominate the education sector amid rising competition. Just a day earlier, rival company Anthropic launched Claude for Education, emphasizing critical thinking through its new “Learning Mode.” While Claude focuses on guiding students through problems, OpenAI is offering productivity-focused tools to enhance academic output.
Also Read: AI-Powered Ghibli Art Frenzy Drives Record ChatGPT User Surge
With over one-third of American students aged 18–24 already using ChatGPT, OpenAI’s free subscription could shape long-term user habits and influence how AI is adopted in future workplaces. Tools like Deep Research, now freely available, let students analyze and synthesize academic content with more depth and speed.
To activate this limited-time offer, students must verify their status through SheerID. As AI becomes more embedded in education, both institutions and students are navigating how to integrate these tools responsibly and effectively.
