Like many tech giants, Microsoft wants to make a difference in the world, and so it’s offering some products and services at discounted prices for select categories of people. This article will discuss five of Microsoft’s current student deals, how and where to access them, and who is eligible to receive them.

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1. Free Office 365 for Schools and Students

Office 365 Education comprises several applications and productivity services offered at discounted prices for students, teachers, and schools. The package is offered to proven accredited academic institutions, who apply by signing up on the Office 365 Education site using a valid school email.

If your school is eligible, you’ll receive a verification code and gain access to a set of products and services, depending on the pricing option your school has chosen. Without your school’s eligibility, you would have to purchase a plan for personal use.

In this context, the A1 license is free for students and includes multiple applications and services known and used by students everywhere including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. More advanced versions such as Office 365 A3 and A5 come at discounted prices for students: $2.50/month and $6/month, respectively.

How to Get the Discount

1. On your browser, open the Office 365 Education webpage (linked above).
2. Enter your school’s email address and click “Get Started.”

3. If your school is eligible, a form will appear for you to fill in your details.

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2. Free Microsoft 365 Education

Microsoft 365 Education provides free access and licenses for desktop apps, Windows, advanced security, management, and analytical tools to students through their schools. The school pays for this package with its students as beneficiaries and offers free Office 365 but with additional licenses depending on the school’s pricing option.

When schools (K-12 or higher) purchase Microsoft 365 (any of the three packages) for teachers, faculty, or staff, it works on all devices and comes at no cost to the students of the respective institutions.

Not all academic institutions will be eligible for Microsoft 365 Education subscriptions. However, students enrolled in Title IV accredited US colleges or universities can still get Microsoft 365 Personal at a 50% discount paying just $2.99 monthly. Microsoft must verify your enrollment with details such as your school email and student ID before granting you this discount.

How to Get the Discount

Microsoft Office 365 Education doesn’t offer a self-service sign-up for students. Hence, to become recipients of this discount, students should simply confirm their school’s eligibility from the school’s IT administrator or department and ask for free access to the package.

Also read:How to Use Microsoft Office on Chromebook for Free

3. Microsoft Student and Military Discount

The Student and Military discount grants eligible students, parents, teachers, and military personnel (active, former, or retired) discounts on specific products and application packages in the Microsoft store, as follows:

• Free Office 365
• 5% off Surface Go devices
• Up to 10% off selected computers, devices, and accessories

This particular discount cannot be combined with other discounts, but when products are on sale, students with this discount will be charged with the lower amount between the two prices.

In addition to the items listed above, eligible individuals can get access to free virtual workshops to enhance study skills, free shipping, and 60-day returns. Finally, Microsoft extends a promise to students who purchase a product or application package whose price was discounted within 30 days after purchase. Such students will be refunded the difference.

How to Get the Discount

1. Sign in with your personal Microsoft account to confirm your eligibility.
2. Click “Sign in to check for eligibility” to verify your eligibility. If you’re eligible at the end of the process, you’ll see a message on your screen that says, “Congratulations! You’re eligible for special pricing.”
3. Click “Okay” and begin shopping for incredible deals on Microsoft Store.

4. Office Home and Students 2021

Office Home and Students in 2021 are available to students whose schools are ineligible for the free Office 365 or whose schools haven’t acquired any Microsoft Education packages. This one-time purchase of $149.99 for life offers 2021 versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on only one PC or Mac.

This package doesn’t include OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Access, and other services that come with a Microsoft 365 subscription, like 1TB of OneDrive storage and 60 Skype minutes per month. It is also not upgradeable, which means you can only obtain upgraded versions of applications by re-purchasing the package at full price.

How to Get the Discount

1. Visit the discount webpage (linked above).
2. Click “Buy Now,” and the site will load the checkout page.
3. If you’re signed out of your account, you’ll need to sign in.
4. Follow the prompts provided to add a payment method and place an order.

Also read:10 Free Microsoft SharePoint Alternatives

5. Device Discounts for Students

Students, parents, and teachers are eligible for discounts up to 45% on select Microsoft devices, including:

• Stain-resistant keyboards
• 127-watt power supplies
• 10.5”-13” touchscreen surface tablets
• Surface laptops
• Surface noise-cancellation headphones
• Earbuds and touch pens

Tip: Chrome users who just purchased a new device might want to install one of these extensions for students to help with completing schoolwork.

How to Get the Discount

1. Visit the Microsoft Store page.
2. Right beneath where you have “Up to 10% off for students and parents,” you’ll see “Shop Now.” Click it.

3. At this point, you should have an array of discounted products on your screen. Note that deals have a yellow tag plastered on them that display the amount you’ll be saving if you purchase the product.
4. Select your preferred device, and follow the payment prompts until you’ve completed the order.

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Other Microsoft Student Discounts

1. PC Deals

Although Microsoft PC deals aren’t specifically for students, they don’t leave out students with other brand preferences and give up to 32% off. The online store retails PCs manufactured by brands like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Samsung and gaming laptops such as BuyPower, Razer Blade, and Corsair desktops.

2. Surface Deals

For other Surface devices that don’t make it to the student deal list, the Surface deals section offers nice discounts on devices such as the new Surface Pro 8 and other Surface accessories under $50.

Frequently Asked Questions

Image credit: Surface via Unsplash

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