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To join the CMU ChatGPT Edu workspace, follow these steps: 

1. Complete the .
2. You'll receive an email invitation from OpenAI. This can take up to an hour.
3. Click Join Workspace in the message.
4. Log in using your Andrew userID and password. Do not log in with Google or any other options.
5. Decide how you would like to manage your existing personal chat data. Transfer moves it to the new workspace. Export removes it. 
6. Select your role or skip.
7. Configure any integrated apps to start using ChatGPT Plus.

Follow these simple steps to get started using ChatGPT:

1. Click New chat in the left sidebar to start a conversation.
2. Type a prompt (e.g., writing request, coding task, or file question) and press Enter. Include “Do not search the web” in your prompt if you’ve pasted or attached highly sensitive resources.
3. Upload files by dragging and dropping them into the chat window or using the paperclip icon.
4. Review the response and continue the conversation to refine your prompts and request new outputs.

You can ask coding questions in the chat or create documents in Work. Codex offers additional tools and a project-focused environment for hands-on development.

The experience you choose and the platform on which it operates are two separate decisions. You can access both Chat and Work via the ChatGPT website or the desktop application. Currently, in our campus workspace, Codex is available for local use through the desktop application.

Use ChatGPT Online

Utilize the ChatGPT website for conversations, research, and work tasks that involve uploading files or accessing information through approved connections, such as Google Workspace. The online work operates in the cloud and currently does not have direct access to the files, folders, or applications on your computer. This option is ideal when you want to work without installing software or continue cloud-based tasks across multiple devices.

Run Work and Codex on Your Desktop

When using Work or Codex modes in the desktop application, you can grant ChatGPT permission to access and modify files and folders on your computer. This feature is beneficial for working with local documents, organizing files, or developing and testing code. Use these modes when the task requires access to your computer.

IMPORTANT:

• To ensure that local tasks continue running, your computer must remain awake, and the application must be open. 
• The desktop application also supports cloud-based work. It's important to note that "local" does not mean offline: AI processing still uses OpenAI's services, and the necessary information is sent to them to complete your requests. 
• Be aware that features may vary depending on the operating system, application version, and workspace permissions.

Follow the steps below to use ChatGPT with the tools you use every day.

Excel and PowerPoint

1. Open Excel or PowerPoint.
2. Select the Home tab.
3. Click the Add-ins button. 
4. Click + More Add-Ins.
5. In the search bar, type ChatGPT.
6. Select the ChatGPT (Made by OpenAI) option and then click Add.
7. Click Continue to agree to the terms.
8. Log in with your Andrew userID and password if prompted. 

Google Sheets

Workspace agents in ChatGPT are designed to handle repeatable, day-to-day work processes by connecting AI to shared systems, standard workflows, and real-world tools. Learn more about building and using these in document

Refer to document to learn more about the structure, features, and model access.

Each user in our campus ChatGPT workspace has a monthly credit allowance. Some models, advanced features, and specific tasks use these credits. When your allowance is depleted, features that require credits will become unavailable until your monthly allowance resets. However, features that don't consume credits, like Instant Chat, will still be accessible.

To maximize your allowance, try using Chat for everyday questions and drafting. Keep your tasks focused and select the appropriate model and level of reasoning effort based on your needs.

What consumes credits?

Chat

Everyday conversations using Instant do not consume credits under our plan. However, selecting a reasoning model or having your request automatically routed to one may use credits. Additional features might also consume credits, depending on any included allowances. To find the current rates and included allowances, please refer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT credit rate table.

Work and Codex

Credits represent the information that has been processed and generated, including reasoning and intermediate steps. Work and Codex may read files, search for sources, run tools, check results, and retry tasks before providing a response. A single message can initiate multiple steps, so credit consumption can vary significantly between requests. Please specify the desired outcome, relevant sources, and any boundaries for the task. For instance, stating “Review this file and suggest changes” provides ChatGPT with a more defined task than “Revise the entire project and implement changes.” Using the service consumes credits whether tasks are executed locally or in the cloud.

You can monitor your credit consumption by navigating to Settings > Usage.

Match the thinking power to the problem.

Begin with a simpler model or the default setting for straightforward tasks, brainstorming ideas, and routine drafting. Increase the capabilities or reasoning effort when the work demands deeper analysis, complex planning, or challenging troubleshooting.

In Work and Codex, more advanced models and more complex reasoning may consume more credits. Creating a document or spreadsheet does not automatically require the highest setting; select the model based on the task's complexity.

Check your model before starting a new task.

In Chat, use the model menu located near the message box to select an available option. In Work and Codex, use the model and reasoning controls below the message box; if available, click Advanced to choose a specific model, reasoning effort, or speed.

Make sure to check your selections when starting a new conversation. The options available to you may vary based on workspace permissions and the application version.

Refer to OpenAI's for more specific details on how credits work. 

We are always evaluating additional automation capabilities and website features, with some potentially available only to designated pilot groups at first. Plugins, integrations, agents, and shared workflows will be selected, reviewed, and approved for access throughout the campus workspace.

As we release new capabilities in our workspace, we will keep users informed through announcements and the ChatGPT Edu page.

Request New Features

If there's a specific feature or plugin you would like us to consider, please let us know by completing our .

Faculty, students, and staff can access ChatGPT Edu. However, community members holding sponsored accounts, courtesy accounts, and contingent staff are not eligible for institutionally covered entitlements. We plan to offer paid options for these groups in the near future.  

You may not currently be eligible for the service. Contact the Computing Services Help Center to verify eligibility.

A list of current features is available on the ChatGPT service page. Need access to a feature or integration that is not available? Refer to our review process documentation.

• Avoid entering passwords or private info directly in messages.
• Only enable Connectors to support your current task and regularly manage Connector permissions in your settings.
• Consider the data sensitivity level associated with any site you log into with an Agent.
• Keep your prompts specific. Avoid entering general prompts, such as Tell me about these meeting notes.
• If AI output seems suspicious, stop tasks immediately.
• Always clear your browser history after working with sensitive data.

Like other generative AI tools offered at Ä¢¹½Av, OpenAI offers a free version not covered by CMU's enterprise agreement. ChatGPT Edu is provisioned under a CMU-specific agreement ensuring data security and responsible use. It includes:

• Access to the latest GPT model and advanced tools like , and

• Strong security features such as single sign-on (SSO) and SCIM provisioning.

• Ensures conversations and content are not used to train models.

Yes. As long as you are logged into Chat GPT Edu with your Andrew userID and password, CMU’s contract ensures that your data is not used to train OpenAI’s public models and remains private to your account. If you are logged in with your Andrew account, you’ll see a CMU profile icon (upper right). This ensures that enterprise-grade data protection is in place.

ChatGPT is retiring the custom GPTs feature in December. Follow OpenAI's document on

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 ChatGPT Edu, review Using ChatGPT Edu with an 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, you will create a separate account using your @andrew.cmu.edu email address.

No. If you have an existing Free or Plus account created with your Andrew email address and you choose to purchase a ChatGPT Edu license, your accounts will merge. You cannot maintain both a Free/Plus account and an Edu account simultaneously using the same email address.

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

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

An optional ChatGPT Edu Pro subscription will soon be available for those who need additional capabilities, along with options for purchasing credits.  Alternatively, you can also choose to use one of the other CMU-approved AI tools.

While all eligible students will receive ChatGPT Edu Plus access at no additional cost, we recognize that it may not meet every teaching and learning need. To better understand how faculty wish to incorporate ChatGPT into their courses, Computing Services is partnering with the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation. Together, we aim to develop guidance and support for effective classroom use. We are also continuing discussions with OpenAI to explore more flexible licensing options that may better meet the teaching and learning needs at Ä¢¹½Av. Additional guidance and licensing information will be shared as this work progresses.

Every user in our campus ChatGPT workspace has a monthly credit allowance. Refer to our Get the Most Out of Your Credits document for more information on maximizing your credits.

Yes! CMU provides a number of protected AI tools that you can use instead of the ChatGPT Edu features that now consume credits. For image generation, use Gemini Web App or Microsoft Copilot Chat. For Deep Research, use Gemini Web App or NotebookLM.