Indiana University students have reduced access to advanced ChatGPT Edu features through their university accounts, according to a Sept. 1 email from University Information Technology Services. ChatGPT Edu is a secure, privacy-focused version of ChatGPT.
IU accounts are now provided only 1,000 premium credits per month, according to the release. Additional premium credits may be authorized by faculty and staff with the approval of a fiscal officer and a designated account.
According to OpenAI, while instant chats are unlimited, prompts that require a higher reasoning effort cost credits. OpenAI assigns different credit amounts depending on the features and the model used in answering a prompt. For example, OpenAI states that one message sent using GPT-5.6 Sol uses approximately 10 credits, while one deep research task uses approximately 50 credits.
Previously, most IU accounts were limited to 5,000 premium credits per week.
In an email obtained by the Indiana Daily Student, UITS said the credit allocations reset on the first day of each month and unused credits do not roll over.
“We recognize that the short notice for this change may create challenges, particularly for students who rely on premium ChatGPT features for coursework or other university activities,” UITS said in the email.
IU announced the ChatGPT Edu rollout Aug. 28, 2025, in a press release and it became available to all of IU on Jan. 7 ,2026.
According to the 2025 press release, ChatGPT Edu offers the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence tools for learning, teaching and research.
“Working with an industry leader like OpenAI gives the IU community cutting-edge tools that will enhance learning, increase efficiency and prepare our graduates to thrive in the careers of today and tomorrow,” IU President Pamela Whitten said in the 2025 press release.
The press release said ChatGPT Edu enables faculty to enhance course design and explore AI-enabled teaching strategies, while students can develop AI fluency and build workforce-ready skills.
Information entered in IU’s workspace is not used to train AI models. ChatGPT Edu is designed for responsible use with university data, according to UITS.
Students can use ChatGPT Edu by logging into ChatGPT with their IU email address and selecting ‘Indiana University.’ Users can see their current premium credit usage in ChatGPT by viewing ‘Usage’ in the settings.
For more information, visit the UITS website.
