Is There a Cost to Using CreateAI For Students?
CreateAI projects use AI models to process requests and generate responses. This usage has a real cost to ASU, but students are not personally charged for standard CreateAI usage.
Student-owned projects receive a monthly token allocation. CreateAI shows the percentage of that allocation used so students can understand how much capacity remains.
Student workers using CreateAI as part of their ASU employment follow the faculty/staff usage limits and guidance for their work-related projects.
What Is a Monthly Token Allocation?
Tokens represent the information processed by an AI model when a project receives a request and generates a response.
Each student-owned project receives a monthly allocation. Your usage view shows the percentage used rather than a dollar amount.
How Is AI Usage Calculated?
AI usage is based on the number of tokens processed and the model used. Different models have different costs, so projects using more tokens or higher-cost models will use their monthly allocations faster.
Am I Charged for Using CreateAI?
No. Students are not personally billed for standard CreateAI usage.
If you own a project, you are responsible for monitoring and managing that project’s allocation. If you use a project owned by a faculty member, staff member, or another student, the usage is attributed to that project and its builder.
Users and app viewers are not charged for interacting with someone else’s project.
How Can I Review My Project Usage?
Open your profile menu in CreateAI Builder and select Usage.
The student usage view shows:
Your active projects.
The percentage of each project’s monthly allocation used.
A visual indicator of the remaining project capacity.
Dollar amounts are not displayed in the student view.
How Can I Make My Allocation Last Longer?
If you own the project and can select its model, choose a more cost-effective model that can still complete the task successfully.
You can also use your allocation thoughtfully by:
Keeping requests focused.
Avoiding unnecessary repeated prompts.
Testing project changes intentionally.
Using higher-cost models only when the project requires their capabilities.
If you are using someone else’s project as an app viewer, the builder selects the model and manages its usage.
What Happens When a Project Reaches 100%?
When a project uses its full monthly allocation, it may be temporarily paused until the allocation resets at the beginning of the next month.
Our Ask
Because AI usage has a real cost, even though ET currently covers standard usage, we encourage students to choose models intentionally and use resources responsibly. Thoughtful usage helps us continue providing broad access to the ASU community.
If you have any questions, please let us know. We’re here to support you!
Keep Reading
Accessing Generative AI APIs at ASU
Faith Abang Timoh
As interest in building with generative AI grows, ASU offers several pathways for API access depending on whether you're doing academic research, enterprise development, or individual experimentation.
Below is a breakdown of approved API access options, along with who to contact and what to expect.
Understanding Rate Limits on CreateAI Builder
Kofi Wood and Shailee Shah
Ever run into a message that says, “Your project has reached its Tokens per Minute limit (TPM)”? Well, just think of it as a friendly traffic signal reminding us not to zoom too fast. We’ll walk through what does a token mean, what does reaching TPM mean, which settings affect token usage, and how to optimize your AI Project to avoid hitting the limit.
AI with Integrity: ASU’s AI Acceleration Team is Setting New Standards for Ethical AI
Faith Timoh Abang
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries, from healthcare and finance to entertainment and education. At Arizona State University (ASU), the AI Acceleration team within Enterprise Technology is ensuring that this transformation happens responsibly.
Generative AI Tool Pre-Release Evaluation Guide
Stella Wenxing Liu
Arizona State University remains dedicated to responsible, principled innovation when deploying generative AI solutions, including chatbots. This guide ensures each project aligns with ASU’s values by mitigating potential risks—such as misinformation, bias, toxicity, and compliance lapses—using rigorous methods like automated testing, red teaming, and pilot experiments. In doing so, we uphold accuracy, fairness, and user trust while enhancing digital experiences across the university.