Flowers are blooming, and the weather is getting warmer, which means that finals are around the corner. Regardless of major, academic level, or institution, final periods are stressful for students, and AI tools, such as ChatGPT, can ease the load.

Also: Are ChatGPT Plus or Pro worth it? Here's how they compare to the free version

To maximize the help students can get from ChatGPT, on Thursday OpenAI announced it would make its ChatGPT Plus subscription free for all students in the US and Canada through the end of May. ChatGPT Plus is OpenAI's more advanced tier, with more advanced features and higher usage limits than the company's latest models. It typically costs$20 per month.

Even though the launch of ChatGPT was initially met with hesitation in the education sector, with many believing it would violate academic standards and integrity, since then many academic institutions and professors have realized its value and incorporated it into their curriculum.

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ChatGPT Plus is perhaps one of the most powerful tools students can have in their back pockets to assist them with studying and producing higher-quality work. To find out what the perks are and how to use and access it, keep reading below.

ChatGPT Plus vs ChatGPT (free)

ChatGPT Plus typically costs$20 per month, and although it may sound pricey, the plan has so many advanced offerings that make it an attractive sell for users. For example, it includes access to Sora, OpenAI's state-of-the-art video generation model, and the screen-sharing and visual capabilities in ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode, its AI-voice assistant I reach for every day.

Also: How to use ChatGPT's Voice Mode (and why you'll want to)

Most recently, OpenAI added its new image GPT-4o image-generation model, which boasts significant improvements over previous models, to ChatGPT. This gives ChatGPT Plus users higher access than free users, who only get three image generations per day. As a student, this is an especially helpful feature because it can visualize any content you are studying, creating charts, graphs, and more.

Students can also significantly benefit from the recently released Deep Research feature, an AI agent that can conduct multi-step research for you by pulling a robust amount of information from the web and synthesizing those sources for you in a comprehensive report.

Also: ChatGPT's stunning new image generator is now free for everyone

The plan's value also lies in its less flashy features, such as extended limits on messaging, file uploads, data analysis, and image generation, access to a research preview of GPT-4.5, and the creation of custom GPTs.

Some ways to use it for school work

Tinkering with the chatbot in your free time is the best way to find what ChatGPT features work best for you and your school workflow. However, since it has been my job for over two years to do exactly this every day, I have identified some helpful ways students can use it:

Also: How to use ChatGPT: A beginner's guide to the most popular AI chatbot

• Upload your notes and PowerPoints and ask ChatGPT to create an outline or even a practice test.
• Ask it to explain a complex concept as if it were explaining it to a child.
• Use the Deep Research feature to learn more about a topic you are confused about or writing a paper about. It saves you the time of gathering information, and now all you have to do is digest it.
• Use the Canvas feature to edit your code or text side by side. This allows you to co-edit your work and see the changes in real time. Check out: Why Canvas is ChatGPT's best productivity feature for power users
• Ask it to create an entire resume for you or, at the least, generate bullet points you can copy and paste into it, specifying what experiences you want it to highlight.
• Upload your notes and ask ChatGPT to create a visualization of it for you to better understand.
• My favorite: Use ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode to verbally explain complex concepts to you. The beauty of this feature is that you can chat with it conversationally to ask what you are confused about without having to find the perfect wording. Then, as it starts explaining, you can interrupt it midway, asking for further clarification or for it to dumb it down more. Then, at the end, you can check to see if you understood the concept by saying it back and having it correct you. I use this feature so much that I mapped it to my iPhone 16 Pro's Action Button.

How to access

Students in the US and Canada can claim the free ChatGPT Plus offer starting now at the ChatGPT Students landing page. The offer will last until the end of May when students are typically wrapping up finals.

Also: The best free AI courses and certificates in 2025

To also help students get the most out of these tools, OpenAI is also offering OpenAI Academy, a free hub to help students build AI fluency; ChatGPT Lab, a college community where students can share prompts; and creative uses from campuses shared on the ChatGPT Instagram.

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