University of Colorado Pays $2M for Student ChatGPT Access

The four-campus system is providing students with one year of access to OpenAI's ChatGPT Edu.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The University of Colorado system, which includes campuses in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Aurora, is paying $2 million for one year of access to OpenAI's ChatGPT Edu artificial intelligence platform for its students.

Why it matters

The move reflects the growing importance of AI tools like ChatGPT in higher education, as universities grapple with how to best integrate these technologies into the learning experience while also addressing concerns around academic integrity and plagiarism.

The details

The $2 million contract will provide all students across the University of Colorado's four campuses with access to the ChatGPT Edu platform, which includes additional features and controls designed for educational use compared to the consumer version of ChatGPT.

  • The contract was signed in February 2026.

The players

University of Colorado

A public university system with four campuses located in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Aurora.

OpenAI

The artificial intelligence research company that developed the ChatGPT language model.

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What they’re saying

“We must embrace the role of AI in education while also ensuring academic integrity. This investment in ChatGPT Edu will help our students harness the power of these tools responsibly.”

— Mark Kennedy, President, University of Colorado (Daily Camera)

What’s next

The University of Colorado will monitor student usage of ChatGPT Edu and evaluate the impact on learning outcomes and academic integrity over the course of the one-year contract.

The takeaway

The University of Colorado's $2 million investment in ChatGPT Edu highlights the growing prominence of AI tools in higher education, as institutions seek to balance the benefits of these technologies with the need to maintain academic standards and integrity.