ChatGPT Edu now available to students, new training courses are live

ChatGPT Edu is now available to students, and new training courses for students, faculty and staff are now live. 

ChatGPT Edu is an optional, higher‑education–focused generative AI platform that offers an equitable, safer alternative to public AI platforms, providing stronger privacy protections while still delivering the capabilities users expect.

ChatGPT Edu is offered to students, faculty and staff through a University of Colorado systemwide agreement with OpenAI and operates in a FERPA‑compliant, privacy‑aware environment created specifically for higher education.

ChatGPT Edu access for students follows faculty and staff access going live on March 31. 

New training courses

Campus leadership listened to feedback from our community following the rollout of ChatGPT Edu access for faculty and staff in the spring. That feedback included the desire for more robust education and guidance about how to use AI tools safely, ethical considerations for when and when not to use them, and considerations related to protecting student, employee and university data. 

Before accessing ChatGPT Edu, students, faculty and staff must complete a 30-minute online training in Canvas that ensures understanding of AI privacy, data protection and appropriate use. The new 30-minute courses—one version for students and one for faculty and staff—were developed by a faculty-led working group with feedback from staff and teams across campus to address issues of specific importance to CU Boulder. Future updates to the courses will be overseen by the university’s newly-expanded AI Strategic Steering Committee (AISSC).

How to access ChatGPT Edu

• Visit the ChatGPT project page for links to the training courses, one for students and another for faculty and staff.
• Once you complete your respective training, you’ll receive an email—typically within a few hours—with instructions for joining the CU Boulder ChatGPT Edu workspace.
• CU Boulder also offers an AI Literacy Foundations self‑paced course in Canvas for students who want to learn more about how generative AI works, its strengths and limitations, and ethical considerations for use. This is not a substitute for the course that is required for ChatGPT access, but provides our community an opportunity to expand their understanding.
• Faculty and staff who have already completed the previous course requirement and have gained access to ChatGPT Edu are required to take the new course by Sept. 30. 
• All enrolled and Continuing Education credit students are eligible to access ChatGPT Edu.

Choice and academic expectations

Use of ChatGPT Edu is optional. Instructors will continue to set rules for AI use in individual courses, including what is and is not allowed for assignments and assessments. Students are advised to follow course syllabi and instructor guidance.

One part of CU Boulder’s AI ecosystem

ChatGPT Edu is one of several campus‑approved AI tools available at CU Boulder, alongside options such as Microsoft Copilot and Google AI tools. These tools support CU Boulder’s broader effort to expand AI literacy, encourage responsible experimentation and help students prepare for an evolving workplace.

Students, faculty and staff can find ChatGPT Edu guidance, FAQs and additional AI resources on the CU Boulder AI website.