The University of Kent is collaborating with OpenAI to give all students and staff free access to ChatGPT Edu – a version of ChatGPT built for universities.
Designed for the education sector, ChatGPT Edu offers enhanced privacy and information security and ensures that conversations and data are retained within the University and are not used to train OpenAI’s models.
ChatGPT Edu gives you access to an enhanced version of ChatGPT compared to the free public service. This includes higher usage limits, access to more capable AI models and features such as custom GPTs and larger context windows, which can improve the relevance and quality of responses.
As a student, you also benefit from institution-wide access supported by training, guidance, and ongoing input from researchers and a dedicated AI team. This means you are not just given a tool, but support to use it effectively, responsibly, and in ways that genuinely support your learning.
Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, Acting Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Kent, says:
‘At Kent we are committed to putting our students first, and this initiative will provide the environment needed for students to experiment and discover AI securely and with support, so they develop their confidence and skills. With the advance of AI and technology, this means a renewed focus on preparing students for a digital future, with the need for critical thinking, ethics, and creativity never greater. Giving all students access to ChatGPT Edu is an exciting step forward in our offer. AI is already proving to be one of the biggest disrupters to the job market, and we know how important it is for students to understand how AI works, and how it can be used for positive impact.’
Students will get access to ChatGPT Edu in April 2026. See our guide to using Generative AI in your studies. We have published some FAQs below, as well as some more technical ones on Moodle. If you have any further questions, you can email AIFeedback@kent.ac.uk.
ChatGPT Edu FAQs
How does this support my learning experience and employability?
Helping students to develop AI skills is a crucial responsibility for the University in terms of preparing our graduates for employment. AI literary is increasingly featured in employers’ lists of requirements for applicants. By providing access to tools and the related training and support, we are ensuring both our students, and our staff are equipping themselves to be best placed for the workplaces of the future.
By providing this tool to all students for free, we are helping to level the playing field for students using AI – ensuring that everyone can benefit from the new technology.
What makes ChatGPT Edu different to the free version? What do I get out of this as a student or staff member?
ChatGPT Edu gives Kent students and staff access to an enhanced version of ChatGPT compared to the free public service. This includes higher usage limits, access to more capable AI models, and features such as custom GPTs and larger context windows, which can improve the relevance and quality of responses for your studies.
As a student, you also benefit from institution-wide access supported by training, guidance, and ongoing input from researchers and a dedicated AI team. This means you are not just given a tool, but support to use it effectively, responsibly, and in ways that genuinely support your learning.
How will you ensure fairness between students that do and don’t use AI?
All students will be supported to critically evaluate how AI impacts their subject area both at university and in the wider world. We remain committed to academic integrity and ensuring that no student is unfairly disadvantaged. This is outlined in our AI Principles.
By securing this partnership with OpenAI and offering ChatGPT Plus-level access to all students and staff, we hope to reduce the digital divide we hope to produce equity of access whilst on campus.
How will you support all students to benefit from AI?
The advantage of an institution-wide license is that all students will have access to an advanced AI tool to support their studies, removing barriers for those who may not be able to access the best-available version.
Our dedicated AI@Kent team have developed a comprehensive student training module called “Developing Your AI Literacy” which covers all the key areas of AI in Higher Education including prompting, ethical questions, responsible use, future career development, and sustainability. This course is available for you for free as part of your studies and is taught by experts in the fields of education and AI.
By giving this training and access to the tool to all students, we hope to reduce the digital divide that can be present where not all students are able to afford premium tools.
Will students be required to disclose use of AI?
Guidance on disclosure will be dependent on your subject. The decisions made by your tutors are provided as part of individual assessment instructions on Moodle. We have extensive guidance for appropriate use of AI in your studies as well as dedicated information on the use of our AI platform. See the Using Generative AI in your studies page for further guidance and available training. Please contact your school with any questions about how AI use may be integrated into your course.
Will data be shared, and how is it protected?
The university owns and controls staff and students’ data in ChatGPT Edu. OpenAI does not train on your data or conversations, and its models don’t learn from your usage. Any data that you submit to ChatGPT cannot be viewed by other students or staff (outside of our standard IT use policies to monitor for inappropriate use, to meet legal requirements or for safeguarding reasons), unless you choose to share a conversationchat or ProjectGPT with other users in your workspace.
OpenAI encrypts all data at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+) between its customers and OpenAI, and between OpenAI and its service providers, and uses strict access controls to limit who can access data.
How will students with disabilities benefit or be protected?
A key feature of AI tools is that they can provide support for diverse requirements that students may have in their studies. Students with specific needs remain in receipt of an Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) that sets out those needs. One of Kent’s principles for responsible use is to ensure it is used in ways that prevent bias and discrimination among any specific group, including students with disabilities.
Discussions are ongoing with our Student Support and Wellbeing team with regard to any additional functionality that may be available to students with ILPs to support them in their studies.