Microsoft 365 Education Licensing (A1/A3/A5) — Free Mind Map
Visual breakdown of Microsoft 365 Education plans — A1 (free), A3, A5. Faculty vs student pricing, what's included, eligibility.
Three Education plans with massive faculty discounts and free student licences. Here's what each tier includes — plus the eligibility gotchas.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft 365 A1 really free?
Yes, for verified accredited educational institutions. A1 includes Teams for Education, web/mobile Office apps, Exchange + OneDrive (small mailbox/storage quotas), and the basic Education tools (Class Notebook, Forms). It's a real free tier, not a trial. Limitations: no desktop Office apps, smaller mailboxes, no advanced security. Most institutions start here for students and upgrade faculty to A3 or A5.
How do A3 and A5 prices work for students vs faculty?
Faculty pricing: A3 ~$3.30/user/month, A5 ~$7.25/user/month (list, before academic discounts). Students: A3 is FREE (no charge per student) and A5 has a much lower per-student price (varies by region). This is dramatically cheaper than Enterprise tiers. The catch: 'Student Use Benefit' means students get those licences without per-user payment — but the institution still has to be properly licensed for faculty/staff to make students eligible.
Who qualifies as 'education' for these prices?
Accredited educational institutions: K-12 schools, colleges, universities, vocational schools. Microsoft verifies via standard education accreditation databases per region. Doesn't qualify: corporate training providers, online-only courses without accreditation, library-only programmes. There's also Education+ (some private schools, NGOs in education space). Microsoft does periodic audits — running edu prices for non-edu use is a licensing-compliance risk and Microsoft will reclaim the difference.
Is M365 Copilot included in A5?
No. Microsoft 365 Copilot is a paid add-on for Education plans, similar to Enterprise — A3/A5 + Copilot add-on (~$30/user/month full price, education discounts vary). Microsoft has piloted Copilot in some education contexts at reduced pricing or as part of specific offers. The general rule: Copilot is NOT bundled into A1/A3/A5 base pricing as of 2026. Watch for Microsoft education-specific Copilot announcements.