CES provides ChatGPT to BYU-Idaho employees through a shared enterprise agreement. Most of what you'll do with it is free and unlimited. A smaller set of more advanced actions uses something called credits. You don't need to track credits closely, but knowing the basics helps you avoid hitting a limit at a bad time, and it helps everyone, since the AI capacity is shared across CES.
What you can do for free
A lot of ChatGPT is free and never touches your credits. That includes:
- Everyday chat with the Instant and Luna models
- Uploading and analyzing files
- Web search
- Canvas and code execution
- Projects
- Custom GPTs
- Library and Memory
- Exporting your data
For most people, most of the time, this is all you need.
What credits are
Credits are how the more advanced or resource-heavy features are measured. Different actions use different amounts: a quick task uses very little, while a long or complex one uses more. Credits aren't money, and you don't buy them to get started. Think of them as a usage meter for the heavier tools, not a bill.
What uses credits
You only spend credits when you reach for the more powerful options. The main ones are:
- Choosing the most powerful chat model instead of Instant or Luna
- Agent mode
- Deep research
- Image generation
- Voice
- Work and Codex, which are measured by how much text they read and produce
Edu accounts also include a few free deep research queries and image generations each day before any credits are used.
Access levels
Not everyone has the same access. Access to the premium capabilities is assigned based on your role and the kind of work you do. Everyone gets the free core features above. People whose work regularly needs advanced or high-volume AI may be given higher access, and those assignments can change as your needs change. They aren't a measure of anyone's importance or ability.
| Note: CES is still finalizing the specific access levels, so exact credit amounts aren't published yet. This article will be updated when they are. |
What comes with each level
Here's a simple view of what's available to everyone compared with what comes at higher access levels:
| Feature |
Availability |
| Core ChatGPT: Instant and Luna chat, file uploads, web search, Canvas, Projects, Custom GPTs, Library and Memory, data export |
Everyone |
| Image generation and deep research |
A little free each day for everyone; more at higher levels |
| More powerful reasoning models |
Higher access levels |
| Voice |
Higher access levels |
| Recording and transcript reference |
Higher access levels |
| PowerPoint, Excel, and Sheets add-ins |
Higher access levels |
| Plugins and connected data |
Higher access levels |
| Skills |
Higher access levels |
| Agents and Sites |
Higher access levels |
| Work in ChatGPT and Codex developer workflows |
Higher access levels |
How to make your credits last
A few habits keep you well inside your limits:
- Stay in Chat with Instant or Luna for everyday work. It's free and handles most tasks.
- Save the most powerful model for genuinely hard problems.
- Don't use Work or Codex for simple tasks like summarizing an email. See Chat, Work, and Codex: Which One Should You Use?
- Use agent mode and deep research when you really need them, not by default.
- If a tool lets you set a reasoning effort, start low and raise it only when a task needs it.
| Tip: For everyday work, stay in Chat with the Instant or Luna model. It's free, fast, and covers most tasks, so your credits are there when a harder job needs them. |
Where to check your usage
You can see your current usage any time in ChatGPT's settings, under the Usage section. If you ever run low, switching to Instant or Luna lets you keep working without spending credits.
For a fuller explanation of the service, see CES OpenAI Frequently Asked Questions.