University of Oxford gives all staff & students full ChatGPT access for free

The University of Oxford will be providing full access to a university-friendly version of ChatGPT for all its staff and students starting this academic year.

This is part of the university's five-year partnership with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, that was previously announced in March 2025.

The university announced on Sep. 19 that its staff and students will be provided with ChatGPT Edu, a version of the artificial intelligence tool that is designed for the education sector, that is powered by OpenAI's flagship GPT-5 model.

To prepare graduates for an AI-enabled world: Oxford

Professor Anne Trefethen, the University of Oxford’s pro-vice-chancellor for digital, said the move to provide inclusive ChatGPT access is "an exciting step in our ongoing process of digital transformation".

"We know that significant numbers of staff and students are already using generative AI tools. There is huge potential for us to harness this to accelerate high-impact, curiosity-led research and innovation, and to facilitate breakthroughs that could address major global challenges," Trefethen said.

During the rollout, the university is “encouraging safe and responsible use within a secure environment”, Trefethen said.

Students will be offered special courses on getting started with generative AI, and can be recruited as “AI Ambassadors” for the university.

Users will also have access to free training and webinars on the use of generative AI, via the OpenAI Academy.

The university said it made the decision to prepare its graduates for a world where AI is used widely.

Professor Freya Johnston, pro-vice-chancellor for education at Oxford, said: "University-wide access to ChatGPT Edu will support the development of rigorous academic skills and digital literacy, so that we prepare our graduates to thrive and lead by example in an AI-enabled world."

This move follows a successful year-long pilot that involved around 750 academics, research staff, postgraduate research students and professional services staff at Oxford.

More about the partnership

Brad Lightcap, OpenAI's chief operating officer, said "continued collaboration" with the academic community was "essential to build AI that benefits everyone", BBC reported.

As part of the partnership between Oxford and OpenAI, research grant funding will be made available for those working on collaborative projects with OpenAI.

Some of the public collection of the Bodleian Library — Oxford's main research library — will also be digitised as part of the new scheme.

There are also plans for a joint research programme between Oxford's Martin School and OpenAI to explore the societal impact of the development and widespread use of generative AI.

Top image from Google/ChatGPT