ChatGPT - Plans & Usage Limits

This article explains which ChatGPT Edu features are free to use, which ones use your monthly credits and how many, and the limits on files and uploads in the University of Maine System (UMS) ChatGPT Edu workspace.

How credits work

Everyday ChatGPT use is unlimited. More demanding features use credits from your monthly allocation, and each feature uses a different amount. Knowing which is which helps you avoid running out partway through the month.

How many credits do I get? Your monthly credits depend on your UMS group. See the credit table in What is ChatGPT Edu. Credits reset on the first of each month.

Free to use, no credits

• Instant: The default model for writing, summarizing, brainstorming, answering questions, coding help, and general conversation. Unlimited.
• Web search: Find current information, check facts, and locate up-to-date sources.
• File uploads: Upload documents, spreadsheets, images, PDFs, and other supported files.
• Canvas: Edit text and code in a side-by-side workspace.
• Projects: Keep related conversations, files, and instructions together.
• Custom GPTs: Create versions of ChatGPT for specific tasks.
• Memory: Let ChatGPT remember selected preferences and context across conversations.

Free each day, then credits

ChatGPT Edu includes a small daily allowance of two features. After that, they use credits.

• Image generation: 3 images free, then 5 credits per image.
• Deep research: 5 research tasks free, then 50 credits per task.

The daily allowance runs on a rolling 24 hours from your first use. For example, if you generate an image at 10:00 a.m., you have two more free images until 10:00 a.m. the next day.

Features that use credits

Work, Sites, Codex, and ChatGPT for Excel, Sheets, and PowerPoint charge by how much text the model reads and writes, so longer files and bigger tasks use more credits. OpenAI sets these rates and can change them. See the ChatGPT rate card (External Link) for current details.

Choosing a model

Model picker levels

New conversations start on Instant. Moving up a level gives ChatGPT more time to think through your request and give a more detailed answer. The trade-off is that you wait longer for the response, and every level above Instant uses credits.

Instant can also move up a level on its own when it decides a request needs more thinking. That message uses the higher level's credits. To turn this off, select your name or profile picture, go to Settings > General, and turn off Higher intelligence. Then choose the level yourself from the model picker.

• Instant: The fastest responses. Free and unlimited.
• Medium: More time to think and more detail, with a short wait. 10 credits per message.
• High: Longer thinking and more detail, with a longer wait. 10 credits per message.
• Extra High: The longest thinking and most detail, with the longest wait. 10 credits per message.
• Pro: The most thorough option, with long waits. Power and Technical Users only. 50 credits per message.

The levels you see depend on your UMS group. Available models change as OpenAI retires older ones and adds new ones.

Tips for managing credits

• Start with Instant. It handles most everyday tasks, it's the fastest, and it doesn't use credits. If Instant moves up a level on its own, that message uses credits. To decide yourself, turn off Higher intelligence in Settings > General.
• Move up when the answer needs more depth. Medium, High, and Extra High cost the same per message, so the real trade-off is time. Pick the lowest level that gives you the detail you need.
• Use your free daily images and research first. Save deep research for questions that need a thorough, multi-source investigation.
• Use web search for quick lookups. It's free and fine for fact-checking and current information.
• Keep prompts and files focused. In Work, Sites, Codex, Excel, and PowerPoint, smaller inputs and clear instructions use fewer credits.

Files, apps, and conversation limits

File uploads

ChatGPT Edu supports documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs, images, audio, and code files.

• Documents, presentations, and audio: up to 512 MB per file.
• Spreadsheets and CSV files: about 50 MB per file, depending on row size.
• Images: up to 20 MB per image.
• Up to 80 uploads every 3 hours. OpenAI may lower this during busy times.
• Up to 40 files per Project, and up to 20 files as knowledge in a Custom GPT.
• Up to 25 GB of total upload storage per person.

Apps and connectors

Apps, formerly called connectors, link ChatGPT to approved outside tools and data sources. An app must be approved and turned on by UMS before you can use it in ChatGPT Edu.

Custom MCP apps can connect ChatGPT to institutional tools and internal systems. Creating custom MCP apps isn't enabled for general UMS users.

Context window

The context window is how much information ChatGPT can consider in a single conversation. A larger context window lets ChatGPT work with longer documents, more uploaded material, and more conversation history.

If a conversation gets very long or includes many large files, start a new conversation or ask ChatGPT to summarize the earlier content.

Compared with a free personal account

For UMS work, sign in with your @maine.edu email address and select the University of Maine System ChatGPT Edu workspace.

Hit a limit?

If you see a message that you've reached a usage or credit limit, it usually means one of these:

• You hit a temporary rate limit. Wait a few minutes and try again.
• You've used this month's credits. You can keep using Instant, web search, and other free features until your credits reset on the first of the month.
• You've used today's free images or deep research tasks, and you don't have credits left.
• The feature you picked isn't included with your access. Check What is ChatGPT Edu for what your group includes.

Questions about your access or credits?

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Environment

• University of Maine System (UMS) ChatGPT Edu workspace
• Eligible UMS students, faculty, and staff
• Sign in with UMS credentials (single sign-on)
• Web browser at chatgpt.com, plus the ChatGPT desktop and mobile apps