Writing · Study

ChatGPT Plus for Students - 4 Months Free

$20/mo FREE
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✓ checked Aug 27

OpenAI's Back to School offer gives US college students 4 free months of ChatGPT Plus, an $80 value, including ChatGPT Work. Verification runs through SheerID, existing Plus subscribers can apply it to their current subscription, and the claim window closes October 31, 2026. After the free months, Plus renews at $20/month unless you cancel.

How to claim it

  1. Check your eligibility. You need to be a current full-time or part-time student at an eligible US degree-granting institution. The offer must be claimed by October 31, 2026.
  2. Open the offer page. Go to chatgpt.com/students/2026 and sign in to the ChatGPT account where you want the free months applied.
  3. Verify with SheerID. Click "Claim free offer" and complete the SheerID check via enrollment records, school SSO, or documents. You'll need a school-issued email for verification.
  4. Add a payment method. New subscribers add a payment method to activate the offer. You won't be charged during the four free months.
  5. Set a renewal reminder. After the free months, Plus renews at $20/month unless you cancel. If you code, also grab OpenAI's Codex student credits, a separate live offer.

Who's eligible

Who can get the ChatGPT Plus for Students - 4 Months Free student discount?
Current full-time and part-time students enrolled at eligible US degree-granting institutions. You verify through SheerID while signed in to the ChatGPT account where you want the offer applied, using a school-issued email for the check (the ChatGPT account itself can use any email). Claim by October 31, 2026.
How long does ChatGPT Plus for Students - 4 Months Free student access last?
Four free monthly billing periods of ChatGPT Plus. After they end, the subscription renews at the standard $20/month unless you cancel. If you cancel mid-offer, you keep Plus until the end of the current billing period but forfeit the remaining free months.
Is the ChatGPT Plus for Students - 4 Months Free student discount available worldwide?
US only for this offer: you must be enrolled at an eligible US degree-granting institution. OpenAI's earlier pilots elsewhere (the Australia and Colombia Student Plus referral program) ended in 2026 and were not replaced. The free ChatGPT tier remains available worldwide.

What's included

The ChatGPT student discount is finally real. After earlier pilots ended (a US and Canada promo in 2025, then an Australia and Colombia referral program), OpenAI launched its biggest student offer yet for Back to School 2026: eligible US college students get four free months of ChatGPT Plus, an $80 value. That's the full $20/month plan, including ChatGPT Work for polished documents and projects, ChatGPT Sites for building websites, voice conversations, and interactive quizzes. Verification runs through SheerID, existing Plus subscribers can apply the offer to their current subscription, and the claim deadline is October 31, 2026. After the four months, Plus renews at $20/month unless you cancel.

  • 4 Free Months of ChatGPT PlusThe full Plus subscription that normally costs $20/month, free for four monthly billing periods. An $80 value, not a stripped student edition.
  • ChatGPT Work IncludedConnect your email, files, and calendar so ChatGPT can find your course materials, then turn notes and readings into presentations, apps, and polished documents.
  • ChatGPT Sites and VoiceBuild a club page, portfolio, or startup site with ChatGPT Sites, and practice interviews or rehearse presentations in real-time voice conversations.
  • Existing Plus Subscribers QualifyAlready paying $20/month? If your subscription is billed directly by ChatGPT, you can claim the offer and apply the free months to your current subscription.
  • SheerID VerificationEnrollment is confirmed through SheerID: trusted enrollment records, your school's single sign-on, or uploaded documents. Your ChatGPT account email doesn't need to be your school email.

Fine print & gotchas

  • US only, claim by October 31, 2026. Full-time and part-time students at eligible US degree-granting institutions.
  • Renews at $20/month. After the four free months, Plus auto-renews unless you cancel; new subscribers must add a payment method up front.
  • App Store and Google Play billing not supported. Existing subscribers qualify only if billed directly by ChatGPT.
  • Cancel early and you forfeit the rest. Free access runs to the end of the current billing period; the remaining free months are lost.

Common questions

Is ChatGPT Plus free for students?
Right now, yes: eligible US college students get four free monthly billing periods of ChatGPT Plus through OpenAI's Back to School offer, an $80 value. You must claim it by October 31, 2026. After the free months, Plus renews at the standard $20/month unless you cancel.
How much is ChatGPT Plus normally?
ChatGPT Plus costs $20/month. This offer waives four monthly billing periods for verified US students. There is no permanent cheaper student price after the promo, and the free ChatGPT tier stays available to everyone.
How does the student verification work?
OpenAI uses SheerID. While signed in to the ChatGPT account where you want the offer, you verify your enrollment via trusted enrollment records, your school's single sign-on, or supporting documents. If verification fails, SheerID has a support form for school listings and document review.
Do I need a school email address?
Your ChatGPT account can use any email address. You only need a school-issued email during the SheerID verification step, and the offer is applied to whichever account you were signed in to.
I already pay for ChatGPT Plus. Can I claim the offer?
Yes, if your subscription is billed directly by ChatGPT: complete verification while signed in to that account and the free months apply to your current subscription. Subscriptions billed through the App Store or Google Play are not supported. You'd have to cancel in the store, keep Plus until your billing period ends, then check whether the offer is still available.
Do I need to enter a payment method?
New subscribers do, to activate the offer, but nothing is charged during the four free months. After the promotional period the subscription renews at $20/month unless you cancel first.
What is ChatGPT Work?
ChatGPT Work is OpenAI's workspace layer included with the offer. You can connect your email, files, and calendar so ChatGPT can pull up course materials, upload notes and data to build presentations and apps, and take on larger projects in one place.
What happens if I cancel before the 4 months are over?
Your free Plus access continues until the end of the current billing period, and then you lose the remaining free months. There's no penalty beyond forfeiting what's left of the promo.
Is the offer available outside the US?
No, this one is US-only. If you're in Canada, [Google AI Plus for students](/google-ai-plus-students/) is free for a year in both the US and Canada. Worldwide, [Perplexity Education Pro](/perplexity-education-pro-monthly/) is 50% off for students, and we track alternatives on our [deal alerts](/deal-alerts/) list.
Didn't the ChatGPT student discount end?
The earlier programs did: a US and Canada promo ended May 31, 2025, and the Australia and Colombia Student Plus pilot wound down in mid-2026. This Back to School offer is a new, bigger program that replaced them, and it runs until October 31, 2026.

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