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ChatGPT Edu

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is an advanced AI-powered chatbot that can help you synthesize information, summarize complex topics, conduct research, and generate new content, including text, code, and images. Use it to enhance your writing, brainstorming, studying, problem-solving, and more.

ChatGPT offers several account options, including Free, Plus, Pro, Teams, and Edu. CMU community members can purchase ChatGPT Edu licenses through the university's software catalog.

Benefits

  • FERPA-compliance – ChatGPT Edu is the only licensing option that meets FERPA requirements.
  • Simplified billing – CMU community members will pay for licenses using an Oracle string.

Eligibility

  • Faculty and staff
  • Students (with faculty or staff sponsorship)

Fees

  • $240 for a 12-month subscription
  • Billed annually via Oracle string
Purchase ChatGPT Edu

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Privacy and Security

Yes, ChatGPT Edu is private and secure. OpenAI will not retain your prompts or responses to train its AI models.

ChatGPT Edu gain the added benefit of FERPA protection, allowing you to use the service while ensuring compliance with student data privacy regulations.

If you’re working with private or protected data in ChatGPT, note the following guidance:

  • Include “Do not search the web” in your prompt.
    When ChatGPT searches the web, the information you share leaves OpenAI’s protected environment.
  • Do not include private or protected in any GPTs you intend to share or chats shared to a group.
    If you use private or protected information to create a GPT, anyone you share that GPT with will have access to that information. Similarly, if you include sensitive information in a chat and share it with a group, anyone in that group will see the information.

Existing ChatGPT Accounts

Many campus community members may already have a ChatGPT account using their @andrew.cmu.edu email address. If you do not purchase a ChatGPT Edu license, your existing account will not change.

If you’re considering an Edu license, review Using ChatGPT Edu with and Existing OpenAI Account to learn how your existing account may change.

If you use an alias (e.g. cmu.edu, cs.cmu.edu, etc.) for your existing account, your account will not change.

If you purchase an Edu license, you will create a separate account using your @andrew.cmu.edu email address.

If your department manages subscriptions for a group of customers all using an alias and you would like support transitioning them to an Edu account, contact the Computing Services Help Center at it-help@cmu.edu or 412-268-4357 (HELP).

If you have an existing Pro or Teams account, you will be able to maintain that account even if you choose to purchase an Edu license. You can switch between the two account types as needed.

If you have an existing Free or Plus account, your accounts will merge if you choose to purchase an Edu license. You cannot maintain both a Free/Plus account and an Edu account simultaneously using the same email address.

Review Using ChatGPT Edu with an Existing OpenAI Account for more information.

If your department manages existing subscriptions for a group of customers and you would like support transitioning them to an Edu account, contact the Computing Services Help Center at it-help@cmu.edu or 412-268-4357 (HELP).

When you leave the ChatGPT Edu workspace, you will transition to a Free account and lose access to all of the data created within the Edu workspace, including chats and GPTs.

If you transitioned from a Free or Plus account and chose to migrate your data into your Edu account, you will also lose that data.

If you have particular chats you would like to keep, copy and paste them into a document.

OpenAI does not allow you to change the email address associated with your account.

Course Licensing

Currently, there is no option to purchase ChatGPT licenses for less than a year or at a discounted group rate for courses. We understand that classroom use cases require more flexible licensing options that can adapt to changing enrollments and course structures. To address this, we are actively working with OpenAI to explore alternative licensing options that might facilitate a broader rollout across CMU. While these discussions are still in progress, we are committed to finding solutions that better support teaching and learning needs on campus and will share updates as they become available.

Learn More

Check the AI Daily for the latest information about AI productivity tools at CMU. We plan to publish a series over the next few months highlighting some of ChatGPT Edu’s most relevant features for the higher education community.

We also encourage you to join the CMU AI Community Discussion Board and Community Chat Space to engage in conversations and stay informed about upcoming events.

You can switch between different models (e.g. GPT-4o, o1, etc.) in ChatGPT depending on your needs. Review OpenAI’s What is the ChatGPT model selector? for more information.