Microsoft teaches schools that free email was just a phase
Office 365 A1 and Student Use Benefit face retirement, leaving institutions to budget for paid replacements at renewal
Microsoft is retiring its free education email service, which includes Office 365 A1, the Student Use Benefit program, and free Exchange Online for Alumni. The changes will generally take effect at institutions first renewal or extension on or after January 1, 2028. Microsoft 365 Education A0 will replace the free services, excluding Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Teams.
The decision has been met with disappointment from the UK's Department for Education, which has negotiated additional concessions for the UK to allow institutions time to transition to new licensing agreements. The loss of free Microsoft-hosted email could add thousands to institutions' bills, and there are significant concerns around affordability, equitable treatment across the sector, and the longer-term implications of the changes.
Microsoft is updating its portfolio to provide a clearer path from foundational access to advanced capabilities, reflecting changing needs in education institutions, particularly in AI, security, privacy, governance, and teaching and learning.
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