ChatGPT Student Discount

ChatGPT Student Discount (Ended)

OpenAI ran a student promo from March to May 2025. US and Canadian college students got 2 free months of ChatGPT Plus if they verified through SheerID. It’s over now.

What It Was

2 months free ChatGPT Plus. That meant:

• GPT-5.1 models (switches between fast and “thinking” mode automatically)
• No waiting during busy times
• Change tone mid-conversation (professional, casual, whatever)
• Way more daily messages than free tier
• Doesn’t randomly slow down when you’re in the middle of something

Who Got It

Had to be:

• Student at a real US or Canadian college/university
• Could verify via SheerID (needed .edu email or uploaded proof)
• Had a ChatGPT account
• Agreed to their terms

Just US and Canada. They said maybe they’d expand it but then ended the whole thing.

How It Worked

1. Go to chat.openai.com and log in
2. Visit chatgpt.com/students, hit “Claim Now”
3. Fill out SheerID form with school info
4. If .edu email didn’t work automatically, upload student ID or something
5. Get email, click button, done

Already had Plus? Cool, you got 2 months credit. Didn’t work for Pro or if you bought through app stores.

Problems People Had

Verification fails - SheerID didn’t recognize your school, you’re not in US/Canada, or you already used it

Wrong account - Used different accounts for SheerID vs ChatGPT

Canceled too early - Some people canceled their sub during verification and got locked out

Upload issues - Had to deal with SheerID support, OpenAI couldn’t help with that part

After Free Period

Auto-renewed at $20/month unless you canceled. Canceled? You kept Plus until billing cycle ended. Once you canceled you couldn’t get the discount back.

Check Your School’s Rules

Some schools ban AI for assignments. Check before using ChatGPT for homework or you might get in trouble.

ChatGPT Go: Budget Option for Students

Plus costs $20/month which is a lot if you’re broke. Go launched August 2025 at ₹399/month (roughly $5). That’s 1/4 the price.

What’s In It

• 40 messages per 3 hours instead of 4
• GPT-5 access, 2x faster than free
• Longer memory
• Doesn’t slow down at peak times
• DALL·E image generation
• Can upload files

What’s Not

• No Sora (video generation)
• No Deep Research
• No Agent Mode
• Fewer messages than Plus (~40 vs ~80 per 3 hours)

For regular school stuff - essays, coding help, studying - Go’s enough. Need videos or deep research? Get Plus.

India: Free for a Year

November 4, 2025 - everyone in India gets Go free for 12 months. No verification, just sign up. Renews at ₹399/month after unless you cancel.

Launched with DevDay in Bangalore. If you’re in India just get it.

Where It Works

90+ countries. Anywhere ChatGPT already works, basically. Check account settings.

Should You Get It?

Yeah if:

• Free tier’s not enough but $20 is too much
• You use it for text/code/content
• 10-30 times a day
• You’re in India (obviously)

Get Plus instead if:

• Need Sora
• Need Deep Research for papers
• Need Agent Mode
• Heavy user (80+ messages/3hrs)

Price Breakdown

For most students Go’s the move.

Other Options

Student discount’s gone. Here’s what’s left:

• ChatGPT Go - $5/month. Free year in India.
• School access - Some universities have institutional deals. Ask IT.
• Seasonal subscriptions - Pay for Plus during finals, cancel after.

$20/month’s rough on a student budget but $5/month’s doable.