Microsoft Office Student: Why Microsoft 365 Benefits Educational Institutions in 2025 

If you’ve been searching for “microsoft office student” because you want the clearest path to modern learning tools for your school or RTO, you’re in the right place. In 2025, Microsoft 365 (often still called “Office 365”) remains a top pick for education thanks to generous student access, deep Windows and identity integration, and a maturing ecosystem that plays nicely with the systems schools already run LMS, SIS, and device fleets. Below, we break down what “free for students” really means, how licensing works (A1, A3, A5), how Microsoft stacks up against Google, and the practical steps to roll it out without surprises. 

First, what does “Microsoft Office Student” actually mean? 

When people say microsoft office student, they usually mean Microsoft 365 Education entitlements for students. Microsoft offers Microsoft Office Student access through Office 365 A1 for Education a donated (nocost) plan for eligible institutions that gives students and educators core web apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint for the web), Teams for Education, OneNote/Class Notebook, OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange Online email. Desktop apps are not included in A1; those arrive via paid plans or specific student benefits tied to staff licensing.  LearnMicrosoft  Key Points for Microsoft Office Student Plans: 

• Office 365 A1 (free) → Web apps + Teams + email + cloud services. No desktop apps. Microsoft Learn 

• Microsoft 365 A3/A5 (paid) → Adds desktop apps, advanced security/compliance, analytics, device management, etc. Microsoft 

• Student Use Benefit (SUB) → Extends Microsoft Office Student desktop access if your institution licenses staff on A3/A5 , students can receive corresponding entitlements at no additional cost, at the ratio defined in Microsoft’s Product Terms (commonly implemented as 40 students per paid faculty). Microsoft 

Why Microsoft 365 makes sense for schools (and how it compares to Google) 

1) Identity, security & device management built around Entra ID and Windows 

• Single signon and hybrid identity: Microsoft Office Student accounts integrate smoothly with  Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) unifies cloud and onprem identities and supports hybrid with traditional Active Directory, which many schools already run. That means smooth SSO for Microsoft 365, plus your other apps, and a clean path from on Prem to cloud. Microsoft Learn+1 

• Intune for Education simplifies managing Windows and iPad fleets, pushing apps, enforcing policies (e.g., BitLocker), and monitoring device health crucial for standardized exam devices and shared labs. Microsoft Learn+1 

• A5 security when you need it: Microsoft 365 A5 adds powerful security like Microsoft Defender for Office 365, advanced threat protection and compliance/eDiscovery capabilities designed for schools. Microsoft Learn+1 

Compared to Google: Google Workspace offers strong web collaboration and admin tools, particularly with Chromebooks. But if your fleet is primarily Windows, Microsoft’s native device management, hybrid identity, and security tooling are a closer fit out of the box, reducing third-party addons and policy gaps. (Google’s editions and admin approach are solid; they’re just optimized for the Google stack.) Google for Education  2) Storage model clarity (and predictability) 

• Microsoft storage (2024 changes): Education tenants receive 100 TB pooled storage across OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange, plus +50 GB per paid A3 and +100 GB per paid A5 license (not counting SUB seats). A1 (free) users’ OneDrive is capped at 100 GB per user, and Exchange Online mailboxes in A1 are 50 GB. 

• Google storage: All Google Workspace for Education editions also start with 100 TB pooled storage per institution, with addon licenses to increase the pool. 

Both ecosystems now use pooled storage. On Microsoft, you can view and manage pooled consumption across OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange; on Google, you set storage caps by OU/group. The practical takeaway: plan your storage strategy from day one. Microsoft LearnGoogle Help  3) Classroom and LMS integrations 

• Teams for Education centralizes assignments, grading, Class Notebook, feedback and wellbeing checkins (Reflect), with Insights dashboards to track engagement particularly helpful for duty-of-care and early interventions. Microsoft Support+1 Microsoft Office Student features integrate directly with Moodle via LTI apps and plugins.

• Moodle integration is FirstClass: Microsoft provides LTI apps and a maintained plugin set to sync rosters, create Class Teams, schedule Teams meetings from Moodle, and pass grades back. Microsoft Learn+1Moodle 

Compared to Google: Google Classroom is tightly integrated with Google Docs/Drive and offers a clean, simple workflow great for Chromebookfirst schools. But if your LMS is Moodle (or Canvas/Blackboard) and you rely on Windows devices, Microsoft’s LTI and plugin ecosystem brings Teams, Assignments, OneDrive, and OneNote directly into your LMS shell. Google for Education  4) Data residency (important for Australian schools/RTOs)  If your tenant is created in the Australia Geo, Microsoft stores key customer data at rest within Australia for Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams chat & meeting recordings, with additional data residency commitments you can monitor from the admin center. (Advanced Data Residency and MultiGeo options exist for complex scenarios.) Microsoft Learn  The student experience: what learners get 

• Free access through A1: Students at eligible institutions get Office web apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Teams (meetings, chat, assignments), OneNote Class Notebook, OneDrive, SharePoint and email all on any browser and device. Microsoft Learn 

• Desktop apps via Student Use Benefit: If your institution licenses staff on A3 or A5, students can receive Microsoft Office Student  (often including desktop Office apps) at no extra student cost, subject to the stafftostudent ratio in the Microsoft Product Terms (commonly 40:1). This is what many people mean by “students get Office for free”—it depends on the school’s licensing. 

• Eligibility & signup: Microsoft provides an online checker and process to verify academic eligibility for Microsoft 365 Education. Students typically sign in with a schoolissued email to activate services. Microsoft LearnMicrosoft 

Plans & licensing: A1 (free), A3 (standard), A5 (advanced) 

Below is a concise, no surprises overview. (Pricing varies by region and reseller; the feature sets below are authoritative and current at time of writing.)  Office 365 A1 (donated to eligible schools) 

• Who it suits: Schools that want core collaboration with zero licence spend. 

• Highlights: Office for the web, Teams for Education, OneDrive/SharePoint, Exchange Online (Plan 1), Class Notebook, basic security, and webbased productivity. No desktop Office apps. Microsoft Learn 

• Storage: Tenantwide 100 TB pooled; A1 users’ OneDrive limited to 100 GB per user; A1 mailboxes 50 GB. 

Microsoft 365 A3 (paid) 

• Who it suits: Institutions standardizing on Windows devices that want desktop Office apps, stronger security and device management. 

• Highlights: Desktop Office apps, Microsoft Intune/Intune for Education capabilities (with Entra ID), advanced information protection, analytics; plus everything in A1. Microsoft CDN 

• Storage: Same pooled model; +50 GB added to the pool per paid A3 (staff) licence (SUB seats don’t add storage). Microsoft 

Microsoft 365 A5 (paid, most comprehensive) 

• Who it suits: Schools that need advanced security/compliance, threat protection, analytics, and the simplest “allin” approach. 

• Highlights: Everything in A3 plus Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, advanced compliance/eDiscovery, and expanded analytics. 

• Storage: +100 GB added to the pool per paid A5 (staff) licence.

Student Use Benefit (SUB) 

• What it is: A Microsoft program that grants student licences tied to your paid staff licences (A3/A5) at a ratio defined in the Product Terms (widely implemented as 40:1). SUB is how many schools deliver desktop Office to students at no additional student cost. MicrosoftMicrosoft Learn 

Microsoft vs Google: a balanced comparison 

Storage: Both ecosystems now use pooled storage with a 100 TB baseline for the institution. Microsoft adds capacity via paid A3/A5 staff licences; Google adds via certain paid editions/addons.  Identity & devices: 

• Microsoft: Deep Windows & hybrid AD integration, Intune for Education for policy, apps, exams, BitLocker, and device health. 

• Google: Best aligned to Chromebooks/ChromeOS management and Google services. Licensing guidance suggests paid editions cover all active users, not just a subset, for full functionality.

Classroom workflows: 

• Microsoft: Teams for Education brings Assignments, Grades, Class Notebook and Insights together—and plugs directly into Moodle via LTI and official plugin set. 

• Google: Classroom is simple, fast and tightly integrated with Docs/Drive/Meet; editions range from Fundamentals (free) to Plus with enhanced features and storage increments.

Data residency for Australia: 

• Microsoft: Provision your tenant in the Australia Geo to keep Exchange, OneDrive/SharePoint, and Teams chat/recordings at rest in Australia, with admin center visibility and Advanced Data Residency options. 

• Google: Consult Google’s data location and storage resources; storage is pooled, and feature availability varies by edition. Google Help 

Implementation checklist (no fluff, just the steps) 

1. Verify academic eligibility and set up the tenant. (Microsoft has a published process for verifying academic status.) 
2. Choose your baseline: Start with A1 to onboard at zero cost, then license staff on A3 or A5 if you need desktop apps, device management, and advanced security. Assign Student Use Benefits to extend features to students. Microsoft CDNMicrosoft 
3. Plan storage: Review the 100 TB pooled baseline, A1 OneDrive 100 GB cap, and mailbox sizes. Set internal policies/quotas to fit your cohort sizes. MicrosoftMicrosoft CDN 
4. Identity & devices: Integrate Entra ID with onprem AD (if applicable) for hybrid identity and SSO; enroll devices with Intune for Education and apply baseline security. Microsoft Learn+1 
5. LMS integration: If you use Moodle, deploy Microsoft’s LTI apps and plugin set to sync rosters, create Class Teams, and schedule meetings; enable Teams Insights. Microsoft LearnMoodleMicrosoft Support 
6. Training & change management: Brief staff on Teams Assignments, OneNote Class Notebook, and datahandling expectations. (Teams Classwork and Insights accelerate adoption.) Microsoft Learn 

FAQs (the things stakeholders ask) 

Is Microsoft Office really free for students? Yes—Office 365 A1 is donated to eligible institutions and gives students web apps, Teams, email, and core services. Desktop apps are not part of A1. Students can receive desktop apps when your staff are licensed A3/A5 and you assign Student Use Benefits at the ratio in Microsoft’s Product Terms.  How much storage do we actually get? Every education tenant gets 100 TB pooled storage across OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange. Paid A3 and A5 staff license add +50 GB and +100 GB to the pool respectively. A1 users’ OneDrive is 100 GB max. Exchange Online Plan 1 (A1) mailboxes are 50 GB. Microsoft Will our data stay in Australia? If you provision your tenant in the Australia geography, Microsoft stores Exchange, OneDrive/SharePoint, and Teams chat/recordings at rest in Australia, with admin center visibility and Advanced Data Residency commitments.  Do we need A5? Not always. Many schools run A3 for staff (to unlock desktop apps, Intune, and SUB for students) and keep students on SUB license. Move to A5 when you need advanced security/compliance (Defender P2, enhanced eDiscovery, analytics). Does Microsoft 365 integrate with Moodle? Yes—official LTI apps and a plugin suite let you create Class Teams from Moodle rosters, schedule Teams meetings in courses, sync assignments/grades, and surface OneDrive files. Microsoft Learn+1    What about Google? Google Workspace for Education is excellent—especially with Chromebooks—and also uses 100 TB pooled storage. If you’re Windowsfirst, rely on Active Directory/Entra ID, or want deep device controls, Microsoft 365 typically lands better with your existing stack. Google Help Decision guide: quick scenarios 

• Chromebookfirst, Docs/Drive native? Google may be simpler.

• Windows fleet, AD/Entra, Moodle? Microsoft 365 with A3 for staff + SUB for students is usually the sweet spot.

• Heightened security/compliance (exams, regulated data)? Consider A5 for advanced threat protection and eDiscovery. Microsoft Learn

 

Wrapup 

Choosing a platform isn’t just about email and docs anymore. With Microsoft Office Student, school gains  identity management, security, LMS integrations, device management, and storage governance—areas where Microsoft 365 is particularly strong for Windowscentric schools and RTOs. For most, the pragmatic path is: 

1. start on A1 (donated), 

1. license staff on A3 (or A5) for desktop apps + management, and 

1. extend value to learners via Student Use Benefits. 

This approach controls costs, upgrades learning tools, and aligns with the systems you already run.   

Sources & Further Reading 

• Microsoft 365 Education plan comparison & A1 donation (A1/A3/A5 features).

• Office 365 Education service descriptions (A1 includes web apps; Exchange Online Plan 1; no desktop apps). 

• Education storage: 100 TB pooled + increments per paid A3/A5; A1 OneDrive 100 GB; mailbox sizes. Microsoft Microsoft Learn 

• Student Use Benefit & ratios (Product Terms; Microsoft Q&A confirms 40:1 practice). MicrosoftMicrosoft Learn 

• Moodle + Teams LTI & plugin docs; Teams Insights/Classwork.

• Entra ID hybrid identity & Intune for Education device management. Microsoft Learn+1 

• Google Workspace for Education editions & pooled storage. Google Help 

• Data residency (Australia Geo, at-rest commitments).