Students and educators can get Microsoft 365 free through Microsoft's education program — all you need is a valid school email address to verify eligibility. Free access includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Teams, plus 1 TB of OneDrive storage. Here's exactly who qualifies, how to sign up, and what to do if your school doesn't participate.
Who gets Office free as a student
Microsoft offers Microsoft 365 Education free to students and educators at eligible institutions — that's most accredited schools, colleges and universities. Eligibility is verified with a school-provided email address (like a .edu or your institution's domain). If your school has licensed Microsoft 365 for its domain, you're in; the free tier covers the core Office apps for as long as you're enrolled or employed there.
How to get Microsoft 365 free (step by step)
- Go to Microsoft's education page (search "Microsoft 365 Education" or visit microsoft.com/education).
- Enter your school email address to check eligibility.
- If your institution is eligible, follow the prompts to create or link your account.
- Download and install the apps, then sign in with your school account to activate.
Verification is usually instant if your school's domain is registered. Some institutions require IT approval, so if it doesn't work immediately, contact your school's IT department.
What's included in the free student plan
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote — the core apps, fully functional
- Microsoft Teams — for classes, group work and meetings
- 1 TB of OneDrive storage — for assignments and files
- Web and mobile versions of the apps, plus desktop installs on eligible plans
The exact apps can vary slightly by how your institution licenses it, but the core productivity suite and storage are standard.
If your school doesn't qualify
Not every institution is registered with Microsoft's education program, and some students (or those at non-participating schools) won't get the free tier. Your options then are: use the free Office on the web at office.com with a personal Microsoft account (browser versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint), start a Microsoft 365 free trial, or buy a discounted subscription. DigitalTools sells Microsoft 365 at below-retail prices with instant activation — often the cheapest legitimate route for students who don't qualify for the free education plan.
Common questions
Eligibility lasts while you're enrolled — when you graduate, the free access ends and you'd need a paid plan. The free education plan is for individual use, not sharing. And note that the free tier is the Education edition, which covers student needs but may lack some business features of the paid Business plans — for coursework, it's more than sufficient.
