OpenAI Offers Free ChatGPT Plus to Millions of College Students in US and Canada

The limited-time initiative provides access to advanced AI tools during finals, highlighting the growing role of AI in education and fueling competition in the sector.

College students in the US and Canada can access the premium ChatGPT Plus subscription for free until May 31, 2025, by verifying their enrollment through SheerID.
The offer includes advanced features such as GPT-4o, image generation, Deep Research, and priority access during peak usage times.
This initiative coincides with final exams, aiming to support academic work like research, brainstorming, and writing assistance.
The move intensifies competition with Anthropic, which recently launched Claude for Education, emphasizing guided learning over productivity tools.
OpenAI faces infrastructure challenges, including service disruptions, due to surging demand driven by the popularity of GPT-4o's image generation capabilities.